The name of Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church has been removed from the draft of the European Union’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia.
This was reported by European Pravda, citing diplomatic sources.
According to diplomats from several EU member states who spoke to European Pravda, Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and LUKOIL founder Vagit Alekperov were removed from the draft of the EU’s 21st sanctions package against Russia at Bulgaria’s request.
It has also emerged that the most contentious issues in the sanctions package have now been resolved, largely in the direction of softening the proposed measures.
Earlier, we reported that Italy had joined Bulgaria in expressing doubts about the EU’s plans to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
As LF previously reported, Bulgaria said it would not support the European Union’s new, 21st, package of sanctions against Russia because it included the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill. Two EU diplomats familiar with the discussions in Brussels disclosed this information on condition of anonymity.
Earlier, we reported that Brussels was preparing another package of sanctions against Russia that could, among other measures, target senior members of the Russian Orthodox Church and its Primate, a close ally of Putin. According to Politico, officials believed there was an opportunity to move forward with sanctions that had previously been blocked by the government of Viktor Orbán, the former Prime Minister of Hungary.
As LF previously reported, Hungary’s new government declared its readiness to support European Union sanctions against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, and other individuals who had been protected by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The 21st package of economic sanctions was expected to be presented in June, with final approval anticipated by 15 July.
According to religious affairs expert Aleksandr Soldatov, although the EU leadership had not officially announced that the head of the Russian Orthodox Church would be included in the 21st sanctions package, reports in leading media outlets had caused concern for the 79 year old Patriarch.
As LF previously reported, the name of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church had been included in the draft of the new EU sanctions package. Although the official list of individuals to be sanctioned had not been published, three diplomats confirmed to Euronews that Kirill’s name was on the list. The EU accuses the Patriarch of spreading revisionist propaganda intended to justify the war in Ukraine.
According to LF, the European Union has added Metropolitan Tikhon, Shevkunov, of Simferopol and Crimea to its sanctions list. This is stated in a decision of the Council of the European Union. Shevkunov is widely described as “Putin’s confessor” and as a likely successor to Kirill.
Balkans expert Aleksey Pavlov commented for LF on why Bulgaria chose Russia’s side and did not join the sanctions against Kirill.
