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"Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev on Wednesday said he urged US President Donald Trump to allow visa-free travel for Bulgarian citizens during talks linked to the continued presence of US Air Force tanker aircraft at Vasil Levski Sofia Airport. Speaking at the start of a government meeting in Sofia, Radev said he had held separate conversations with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Trump regarding a possible extension of the US military aircraft deployment in Bulgaria beyond the end of May. “You know that tanker aircraft of the US Air Force are stationed at Vasil Levski Sofia Airport,” Radev said. “I expect the American side to request an extension of their stay at Sofia Airport.” He added that during his call with Trump, he “insistently raised the issue of waiving US visas for Bulgarian citizens” and said he expected the matter “to be addressed urgently.” Bulgaria, a member of NATO, authorised more than a dozen US aircraft to transit through Bulgarian airspace and land in Sofia for refuelling operations until the end of May. Radev recently secured a landslide victory in Bulgaria’s April 19 parliamentary election. His campaign drew criticism from some European observers who viewed parts of his rhetoric on eurozone accession and opposing military support for Ukraine as sympathetic to Russia. The Bulgarian PM has rejected accusations of being pro-Russian, insisting that Sofia remains committed to its European path and noting that he has already met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz following the election."
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