Kammala wannan jumla: Saboda 'yan Bulgarian suna mamaye ƙasashen Byzantine tun daga 976, gwamnatin Byzantine ta nemi haifar da rashin jituwa a tsakanin su ta hanyar ba da izinin gudun hijira na sarkinsu Boris II na Bulgaria. Wannan dabarar ta gaza don haka Basil ya yi amfani da hutu daga rikicin sa da masu martaba don jagorantar rundunar sojoji 30,000 zuwa Bulgaria da kuma kewaye Sredets (Sofia) a cikin 986. Da yake shan asara da damuwa game da amincin wasu daga cikin gwamnoninsa, Basil ya ɗaga kewaye kuma ya koma Thrace amma ya fada cikin kwanton bauna kuma ya sha wahala mummunan rauni a
Yaƙin Ƙofofin Trajan. Basil ya tsere tare da taimakon Varangian Guard kuma ya yi ƙoƙarin dawo da asararsa ta hanyar juya ɗan'uwan Sama'ila Aron a kansa. Aron ya jarabce shi da tayin Basil na 'yar uwarsa Anna a cikin aure, amma tattaunawar ta gaza lokacin da Aron ya gano amaryar da aka aiko shi mai yaudara ce. A shekara ta 987, Samuel ya kawar da Aron. Kodayake an kama sarki Roman na Bulgaria a 991, Basil ya rasa Moesia ga Bulgarians.