Bulgaria DefMin Says Not Informed of US Deployment Plans

Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev has said Sofia has received no official proposal from Washington about the stationing of heavy equipment in the country.

"I had a meeting with US Ambassador Marcie Ries today [Tuesday] at her request at which I was informed there would be a statement of the US side about deployment in several Southeastern European states. In our conversation, however, no other information and details were disclosed as to the type and number of [units]," the Defense Ministry's press office quotes him as saying.

Earlier on Tuesday US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced the Pentagon would stick to its previously announced plan about sending tanks and artillery to six NATO countries in Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, and the Baltics.