Bulgaria's Defence Ministers Discuss US Aircraft Deployment at Bezmer Base

Former defence minister Nikolay Svinarov said there is no need for additional security measures at the Bezmer air base despite the presence of United States military aircraft, arguing that the U.S. forces themselves should ensure safety. He criticised Bulgaria’s limited intelligence capacity and warned that the country should focus more on internal terrorism threats.

Current defence minister Dimitar Stoyanov said he would personally vote for Ilyana Yotova in the upcoming presidential election and reiterated Bulgaria’s commitment to the NATO‑U.S. agreement that allows joint use of military facilities. Stoyanov acknowledged security risks from the U.S. aircraft deployment but emphasized that NATO’s missile‑defence umbrella and forces stationed in neighboring Turkey and the Mediterranean protect the country. He dismissed the possibility of an Iranian missile attack, noting that any such aggression would trigger NATO’s Article 5 collective defence response.