Bulgaria plays hardball with Trump: short extension for U.S. tankers at Sofia Airport as visa waiver stalls

In classic deal-making fashion, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has delivered a clear message to the Trump administration: no progress on the long-sought U.S. visa waiver for Bulgarian citizens means no long-term home for American KC-135 tankers at Sofia’s civilian airport.

Radev said he asked Trump to lift US visas for Bulgarians, but has no positive answer yet. Bulgaria will therefore not approve a long stay for US tankers at Sofia Airport, where they have been since February. Their stay is extended only to end-June, so the US can relocate. 👀 pic.twitter.com/CsmgwEZqJK
— JazzBG 🇧🇬🇪🇺🇺🇦 (@JazzBulgaria) May 29, 2026

Speaking at the start of a government meeting, Radev confirmed that despite direct conversations with President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, there had been “no positive answer” on lifting visa requirements for Bulgarians. As a result, the current authorization for the U.S. Air Force tankers – operating from Vasil Levski Sofia Airport since February – will be extended only until the end of June. This gives Washington time to find an alternative location.

Radev is apparently adopting Trump’s transactional style: you want something from us, we want something in return.

Strategic leverage amid limited U.S. options

The U.S. military presence in Sofia is not routine NATO training. Since February 2026, multiple KC-135 Stratotankers, along with C-17 and C-130 transports, have staged at Bulgaria’s main civilian airport to support operations linked to heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly around Iran. The deployment has occasionally forced temporary suspensions of civilian flights, underscoring its operational significance.

Bulgaria’s location offers unique advantages for U.S#. air logistics in the region:

Proximity to the Black Sea and southeastern Europe provides efficient routing for tanker support of long-range missions.
Access to local jet fuel infrastructure, including from the Lukoil Neftochim Burgas refinery- the largest in the Balkans – which has benefited from U.S. sanctions waivers to keep operating despite its Russian ownership.
Fewer restrictions compared to more crowded NATO hubs in Germany, Italy, or the UK.

U.S. options for relocating these tankers quickly are constrained. Major European bases like Ramstein (Germany), Mildenhall (UK), or Aviano (Italy) are already heavily utilized, while southern alternatives (e.g., Souda Bay in Greece or Incirlik in Turkey) come with their own political and logistical complexities amid regional tensions. Moving the operation entirely out of the Balkans could reduce efficiency for missions requiring rapid refuelling support.

Several NATO allies, including Spain, Italy, and France, have restricted or denied US military aircraft access to their airspace and bases for operations linked to the Iran conflict, forcing longer routing for American tankers and transports.

This gives Bulgaria real leverage – and Radev is using it.

The visa waiver sticking point

Bulgaria has long sought inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which allows citizens of participating countries visa-free travel to the United States for up to 90 days. Most EU allies enjoy this benefit; Bulgaria, along with Romania and Cyprus, remains outside despite meeting many technical criteria. Overstay rates and other security concerns have historically delayed approval. Radev has recently tied the visa issue to continued military cooperation. In mid-May calls with Trump and Hegseth, he pressed for urgent action on the waiver while discussing the tanker extension. With no movement from Washington, Sofia is now enforcing a short-term deal only.

Bulgaria raises visa waiver in talks for continued U.S. military aircraft presence in Sofia

The episode highlights the pragmatic, results-oriented approach of the current U.S. administration. Bulgaria, as a NATO ally hosting these assets on its sovereign territory (a civilian airport, no less), is simply playing the same game.

Caption: Seen from the Sofia Airport departure gate, at some distance, several of the U.S. flying tankers [Photo Georgi Gotev]