US thanks Bulgaria for hosting military tanker aircraft at Sofia Airport

The United States has expressed its gratitude to the Bulgarian people for hosting US military tanker aircraft at Sofia Airport over the past five months. The message was delivered by one of America's most senior military commanders, General Alexus Grynkewich.

In an interview with bTV, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe said he would "encourage Bulgaria's political leaders, when they meet with President Donald Trump on 7 and 8 July in Ankara, to highlight the support they have provided to the United States. "Bulgaria should be proud that it did this and stood by an ally, stepping forward and showing a willingness to do something that some members of the Alliance were not prepared to do," General Grynkewich said.

The commander stressed that no combat operations had been launched from Bulgaria but declined to comment on whether the aircraft had been used to support strikes against Iran.

"There were no combat operations launched from Bulgaria," he stated. General Grynkewich also addressed the current geopolitical environment.

"We have potential adversaries around the world working together in ways we could not have imagined just a few years ago. That includes China, North Korea, Iran and, of course, the Russian Federation, among others. We see this reflected in Ukraine, where Russia would not be able to sustain this war without Chinese financing and the dual-use components coming from China that support its industrial base," he said. He described Russia as the greatest security threat, noting that Moscow has already demonstrated its willingness to use military force in an attempt to redraw Europe's borders, something the continent had not witnessed for decades.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov