Bulgaria secures exclusion of Patriarch Kirill from EU sanctions
Bulgarian authorities secured the exclusion of Patriarch Kirill from the European Union’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced this at a joint briefing with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, UOJ-Bulgaria reports.
According to Radev, Bulgaria for the first time openly presented the EU with its demands regarding the 21st sanctions package against Russia, insisting that Patriarch Kirill be excluded from the sanctions list along with two businessmen linked to the Bulgarian economy. The prime minister said all three of Sofia’s demands were met.
Sofia explained its opposition to including the ROC Primate on the sanctions list by saying that religion should not become an additional factor in escalating the war in Ukraine.
As the UOJ reported, both Bulgaria and Italy had called for Patriarch Kirill to be excluded from the European Union’s sanctions list.
