If the US ask us for permission to deploy tanks or other armoured vehicles, at this point our answer is “No”, Vice Admiral Rumen Nikolov, Chief of Defense Staff of Bulgaria, told the BGNES wire service.

“There is no reason for stirring of panic about the deployment of US or any other foreign tanks and armoured vehicles on Bulgarian territory,” Nikolov said.

“It is not true that in Bulgaria will be deployed some of 150 US tanks,” he continued. “This hasn't been discussed in NATO. This is just the statement of some US general and it cannot be considered an official statement.”

The remark came in response to recent publications that the US was planning to permanently deploy 150 tanks and armoured vehicles for military exercises in East European countries, including Bulgaria.

The information was later denied by Bulgaria's Defence Ministry, which said there was no official request in this regard.

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