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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. Under the agreement, which expires at the end of this month, Bulgaria hosts U.S. military jets at the capital’s Vasil Levski Sofia Airport. Bulgaria’s Government Information Service said Friday the government has adopted the extension until June 30 for up to 15 U.S. military aircraft, equipment and up to 500 personnel. Radev, whose Progressive Bulgaria party won the parliamentary elections in April, said he spoke with President Trump earlier this month, calling on the U.S. to allow visa-free entry for Bulgarian tourists to the U.S. The U.S. military has had Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport jets, Boeing C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transport aircraft and Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft deployed to Bulgaria. Then-caretaker Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov told reporters in early March that the Trump administration has not made requests to base military aircraft inside Bulgaria to potentially use in its kinetic actions against Iran. In late February, prior to U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, Zapryanov said the U.S. aircraft were not there for any potential kinetic action versus Tehran, but part of a joint exercise between Washington and Sofia at Vrazhdebna Air Base, according to broadcaster BTA. “The exercise is in no way related to the situation with Iran or U.S. negotiations,” he said. Add as preferred source on Google Tags Donald Trump Rumen Radev Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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