Svetoslav TodorovSofiaBIRNMay 29, 202617:18Radev halts refuelling arrangement after Trump declines to lift visa requirements for Bulgarian visitors to US.
Outgoing Bulgarian President Rumen Radev (C) greets supporters after a formal handover ceremony in Sofia, 23 January 2026. Photo: EPA/BORISLAV TROSHEV
Bulgaria’s new Prime Minister, Rumen Radev, stated on Friday that US military aircraft won’t be able to use Sofia’s “Vassil Levski” airport for stay and refuelling after the end of June, after the US failed to approve a visa-free system for Bulgarian citizens.
Earlier in May, the Progressive Bulgaria party leader claimed he had spoken to President Donald Trump over the aircraft stay and called for the suspension of the visa rule for Bulgarian nationals, hinting at a trade-off.
“I called for the suspension of [the need for US] visas for Bulgarian citizens during my conversation with the US President but I have not received a positive answer. While I fully understand the complexity of all the regulatory procedures, we also have our priorities and we cannot respond positively to the request for long stays of aircraft and tankers at Sofia airport,” Radev said on Friday.
“We’re extending the permission [only] until the end of June so we can give time to our allies to reschedule and find another location,” he added.
In March, Bulgaria’s then-caretaker Defence Minister, Atanas Zapryanov, said the aircraft concerned were not intended for combat operations, instead providing logistical support for allied missions.
The stay was greenlit in February by the previous government. The main types of aircraft deployed in Bulgaria include Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, Lockheed C-130 Hercules and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.
Former President Radev and his newly founded Progressive Bulgaria party won the April 19 elections with a landslide victory, with the new cabinet assuming power on May 8 ending a five-year stalemate, which yielded several short-lived governments and eight general elections, during which Radev also de facto occasionally governed through interim cabinets.
Radev is the first Bulgarian politician to have served both as President and Prime Minister. His atypical political career has also raised doubts over Bulgaria’s geopolitical perspectives, given his soft approach to the Kremlin.
Source link: balkaninsight.com
