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Bulgaria will terminate authorization for U.S. military refuelling aircraft to operate from Sofia Airport at the end of June, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Friday, citing Washington’s refusal to grant Bulgarians visa-free travel to the United States.
The Bulgarian government approved an extension allowing the aircraft to remain in the country until June 30, 2026, after which the authorization will expire.
Under Decision No. 205 of March 4, 2026, the Council of Ministers authorized the non-military deployment in Bulgaria of up to 15 U.S. aircraft, along with up to 500 support personnel and related equipment, at Vasil Levski Sofia Airport.
The latest decision extends that authorization by one month to allow the United States time to relocate its operations.
“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,” Radev said.
Radev said he raised the issue of visa-free travel for Bulgarian citizens during a recent conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump but did not receive a positive response.
“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,” Radev said.
“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,” he added.
Bulgarians remain among the few European Union citizens who do not have visa-free access to the United States for short-term tourist travel.
Asked Friday whether he had received any progress on the issue from Washington, Radev said: “I don't have a positive response at this stage.”
U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft have been stationed in Sofia since mid-February, shortly before U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
As of mid-May, six of the refueling aircraft were still present at the Bulgarian capital’s airport.
The deployment was authorized within the framework of NATO cooperation and had originally been scheduled to end in May.
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The Bulgarian government said in April that it had received a diplomatic protest note from Iran regarding the presence of the aircraft.
Radev and his newly established Progressive Bulgaria party won the April 19 parliamentary elections by a wide margin.
The new government took office on May 8, ending five years of political instability marked by several short-lived administrations and eight parliamentary elections.
Radev previously served as Bulgaria’s president and is the first Bulgarian politician to hold both the presidency and the premiership.
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