CIA Director William Burns' Southeast Europe Tour Includes Unusual Detour Over Bulgaria

William Burns, the CIA Director, is currently on a two-day visit to Kosovo, making his way through southeastern Europe. On Thursday, Burns was reported to have been in Bulgaria as part of a tour that included stops in Sarajevo, Belgrade, Sofia, Skopje, and Pristina, according to Radio Free Europe. The Albanian language section of the news outlet noted that Burns was seen entering the Kosovo parliament the previous day.

Burns is believed to have traveled in a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, which was photographed at the VIP section of the Kosovo airport "Adem Jashari." The flight path, as indicated by Flightradar 24, showed that the plane traversed Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia before landing in Kosovo. Interestingly, the plane made two circuits over Stara Planina in Bulgaria for approximately 20 minutes before proceeding to Kosovo, though the reasons for this detour remain unclear.

The visit comes amid growing U.S. concerns over relations with Kosovo and Russian influence in the Balkans. Confirmed meetings include those between Burns and his Bosnian counterpart, members of Bosnia's collective presidency, and the secretary of state. On August 20, Burns met in Sarajevo with Bosnian Intelligence and Security Agency Director Amir Žuvo and members of the Bosnian presidency, including Denis Berković, Željko Komšić, and Želka Cvijanović, who is sanctioned by the US They discussed matters of mutual interest, particularly Bosnia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the actions of Milorad Dodik, the pro-Moscow president of Republika Srpska.

In Kosovo, Burns' visit has drawn attention due to ongoing tensions between Washington and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. US Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier has criticized Kurti's government for...