Bulgaria's PM demands exclusion of Patriarch Kirill from 21st EU sanctions package
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the country objects to the 21st EU sanctions package against Russia, as it includes Patriarch Kirill and poses risks to Bulgaria's economy.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated at the European Council meeting on June 18 that some sanctions in the 21st package against Russia are unacceptable because they threaten the country's economy. He emphasized that Bulgaria wants to exclude Russian Patriarch Kirill from the sanctions list, which was proposed by the European Commission.
Radev also raised concerns about energy sanctions that could affect the operations of oil company Lukoil in Bulgaria, as well as the supply of spare parts for the Sofia metro. He insisted that these issues must be addressed at EU Council meetings.
Regarding Patriarch Kirill, the prime minister said he is not interested in Kirill personally but in the Russian Orthodox Church, which he claimed helped Bulgaria liberate itself from five centuries of Ottoman rule. "We are one family," Radev added.
Bulgaria had previously not supported the 21st sanctions package. The package is expected to be approved by July 15, which is also the deadline for updating the oil price cap on Russian oil.
