Bulgaria says it will stop the refuelling arrangement for U.S. military aircraft in Sofia, linking the decision to a dispute over visa policy. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev says the country is ending the U.S. aircraft stay at the end of June, after the Trump administration did not approve a visa-free or visa-suspension arrangement for Bulgarian visitors to the United States. According to Radev, he raised the issue during a conversation with Trump, calling for the suspension of visas for Bulgarian citizens. He then states that, because the request was not granted, Bulgaria moves to suspend the practical cooperation related to U.S. military aircraft operations at the Bulgarian base/airport in Sofia.
Both outlets report the decision as a response to the lack of agreement on visas rather than a change in the broader military relationship. The reported timeline is clear: Bulgaria will end the U.S. military aircraft stay and associated refuelling arrangement by late June. The accounts frame the move as conditional on the visa question remaining unresolved.
