Bulgaria to end US military aircraft stay after visa program dispute

Source: The Hill

Bulgaria to end US military aircraft stay after visa program dispute

by Filip Timotija - 05/29/26 4:09 PM ET

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said ​Friday that his country will cut the stay of the U.S. military aircraft in Sofia at the end of June after the Trump administration did not greenlight a visa-free pass for Bulgarian visitors to the U.S.

“I called for the suspension of visas for Bulgarian citizens during my conversation with the U.S. 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, according to Balkan Insight.

“We’re extending the permission until the end of June so we can give time to our allies to reschedule and find another location,” the prime minister added.

The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

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Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5901808-radev-ends-us-military-aircraft/