Bulgaria limits US military aircraft stay amid visa dispute
Bulgaria has extended the deployment of US aircraft at Sofia Airport only until the end of next month amid an ongoing visa dispute with Washington, according to media reports on Friday.
The government has adopted a decision to extend until June 30, 2026, the deployment in Bulgaria of up to 15 US aircraft, along with their support personnel and equipment, Bulgarian News Agency BTA reported, citing the Government Information Service.
Under Decision No. 205 of March 4, 2026, the Council of Ministers authorized the non-military deployment in Bulgaria of up to 15 aircraft and up to 500 support personnel from the United States at Vasil Levski Sofia Airport.
The decision came after Prime Minister Rumen Radev's earlier statement saying the Council of Ministers would approve an extension of the aircraft's stay until the end of June in order to give "our allies the opportunity to reschedule their activities and find another location."
Earlier this month, Radev spoke to US President Donald Trump and called for the suspension of the visa system to the US for Bulgarian nationals.
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