The European Union excluded Patriarch Kirill from the draft of the new sanctions package
Bulgaria and Italy secured the exclusion of the head of the ROC from the European Union's sanctions list.
The European Union has excluded the head of the ROC Patriarch Kirill from the draft 21st package of sanctions against Russia. This is reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
The decision was made at the request of Bulgaria and Italy, which opposed restrictions on religious figures. The draft document was significantly "lightened" before the final vote, scheduled for July 13 in Brussels.
Bulgaria was the first to demand the removal of the head of the ROC from the sanctions list, and later Italy joined the initiative. The foreign ministers of EU member states are expected to approve the final version of the "lightened" restrictions in the near future.
As the UOJ reported, Patriarch Daniel supported Bulgaria's refusal to impose sanctions against the Primate of the ROC.