Bulgaria's Geopolitical Shift Under Prime Minister Radev: Closer to US, Distant from EU (ecfr.eu)

• Bulgaria agrees to host eight US tanker aircraft at Bezmer base
• Radev withdraws Bulgaria from coalition of the willing for Ukraine
• EU urged to counter Bulgarian hedging and reinforce defence incentives

"Bulgaria has agreed to host up to eight American refuelling tankers at the Bezmer military base to support US operations in the Middle East. This came days after Prime Minister Rumen Radev withdrew Bulgaria from the European coalition of the willing for Ukraine. Radev has put the final decision on Bezmer to a parliamentary vote, spreading political responsibility. These moves expose a growing inconsistency in Bulgaria's strategic posture: distancing from European efforts to strengthen Ukraine while supporting US operations. The EU should treat Bulgaria as an urgent political case and reinforce incentives for participation in common defence initiatives."