The prospect of US President Donald Trump's moving closer to Russia has scrambled the strategy of "balancing East and West" used for decades by countries like Bulgaria, the New York Times says.

An eager EU member, Bulgaria has seen Russian influence creep in "as rising nationalism caused support for the union to wane", the report goes on.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev is quoted as saying that the country's "road map" includes "staying in the EU and staying in NATO, but at the same time, we have a deep historical relationship with Russia."

"It is unclear whether Bulgaria’s old balancing act will work in the emerging international order."

In addition , there are "fears that Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin will forge a bargain between themselves that serves their two nations but carves up the region into spheres of influence, just as the major powers did at the end of World War II."

The article is available here.