Bulgaria has opposed the inclusion of Patriarch Kirill in the new round of EU sanctions

Bulgaria has made it clear that it does not support part of the European Union’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia, under which the European Commission proposed adding Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, to the sanctions list. According to Bulgarian National Radio, a decision on the package is expected by the end of July.

According to the report, the European Commission presented the 21st sanctions package on June 9. The publication cites Politico, which reported that Bulgaria opposes a specific part of the proposed restrictive measures. This refers to the possible inclusion of Patriarch Kirill on the EU sanctions list.

As BNR notes, citing EU Observer, the European Commission’s initiative is based on the Russian patriarch’s support for the war in Ukraine. In recent days, Bulgarian media have also reported that Sofia may attempt to protect the Russian spiritual leader from being included on the sanctions list.

Amid discussions on the topic among representatives of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, only Metropolitan Naum of Ruse has publicly expressed his position, according to the report. In a statement titled “Prayerful Compassion,” he joined Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in condemning the attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv.

Further consultations on the 21st package of EU sanctions are expected to continue in the coming weeks, and a final decision may be made by the end of July. The question of whether Patriarch Kirill will be included on the sanctions list remains one of the most sensitive points of discussion.

As a reminder, it was previously reported that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia was not included in the European Union’s 21st sanctions package, despite earlier threats from EU officials. Nevertheless, the updated list, published on June 15, includes among its religious figures Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Simferopol and Crimea, a hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.