Bulgaria to veto sanctions against Russia over Russian Patriarch
Bulgaria is prepared to veto new European sanctions against Russia if the Russian Patriarch Kirill is included in the list of restrictions. This was stated by the country's president, Rumen Radev, during his participation in international discussions.
The position of the Bulgarian state is that the inclusion of religious leaders in sanctions lists is not appropriate. According to the Bulgarian authorities, such measures could lead to tension and are not in the spirit of the diplomatic dialogue that is necessary in the current complex geopolitical situation.
The European Union is discussing new packages of sanctions against the Russian Federation due to the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine. In these discussions, measures against various Russian officials, including representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, are often proposed.
Every member state of the European Union has the right to veto decisions that require full unanimity. Bulgaria is using this right to defend its position on the specific issue related to the figure of the patriarch.
At the moment, it remains unclear how this decision will affect future negotiations in Brussels. The topic is expected to be the subject of further discussions among European leaders in the coming weeks.