Bozhidar Bozhanov, a lawmaker from Democratic Bulgaria, claimed the United States pressured Bulgaria into accepting the deployment of American tanker aircraft at Bezmer Air Base, arguing that the country risked fuel shortages if it refused. Speaking to bTV, Bozhanov said, "Everyone knows this was not a deal. The Americans told them: 'If you do not let them in, there will be no gasoline.'"
Bozhanov explained that Democratic Bulgaria had reservations during parliamentary discussions because lawmakers were initially denied access to key information. He said party colleague Ivaylo Mirchev abstained from voting in the parliamentary committee reviewing the deployment because military intelligence had not yet provided its report. According to Bozhanov, the document only reached the classified registry the following morning.
Although he declined to discuss the report's contents because it is classified, Bozhanov described it as "relatively superficial" and said it did not provide enough information to justify the government's position. He argued that lawmakers were also left without answers to broader political questions, including whether the deployment was linked to negotiations over the Lukoil fuel issue or formed part of a wider political bargain.
