Bulgaria Blocks EU Bid To Sanction Russian Orthodox Patriarch (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

PARIS/SOFIA/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The European Union failed to add the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church and a Russian billionaire to its latest sanctions package after Bulgaria vetoed their inclusion.

The standoff comes weeks after Hungary’s new government signalled its readiness to allow the EU to sanction Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ and other individuals whom former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had protected.

The sanctions are part of the European Union’s response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022.

Bulgaria vetoed the proposal during closed-door negotiations, citing what officials described as “religious and cultural reasons,” according to sources familiar with the talks.

The Balkan nation’s recently elected government also prevented the blacklisting of Vagit Alekperov, founder and former president of oil giant Lukoil, arguing the move could complicate ongoing legal and economic disputes involving the company.

BULGARIA STANDS FIRM

“There’s nothing wrong with a country defending its national interest within a collective framework,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stressed Tuesday while defending Sofia’s position.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova said EU sanctions should primarily have a measurable financial impact on Russia rather than serve as symbolic political gestures.

She explained that this was one of the reasons Bulgaria pushed successfully to remove Patriarch Kirill from the European Commission’s proposed 21st sanctions package.

“When you have sanctions that are purely symbolic and have no economic consequence on Russia, what you are risking in an Eastern Orthodox country such as Bulgaria is creating an environment for anti-European rhetoric,” she told broadcaster Euronews.

“That’s why we’re not supporting it, and that’s why we were really happy that in the end the name was dropped.”

RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL TIES

Church observers note that while the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church are autonomous institutions led by different patriarchs, both belong to the Eastern Orthodox communion, share the same core beliefs, and maintain deep historical, cultural, and religious ties.

However, Prime Minister Rumen Radev suggested there were also practical considerations behind Sofia’s opposition to sanctions against certain Russian figures.

His government has repeatedly argued that the war between Russia and Ukraine cannot be resolved on the battlefield but only through diplomacy.

Radev has previously described Ukraine’s military cause as “doomed” and reiterated that Bulgaria does not support policies aimed at prolonging the conflict through continued military escalation.

Speaking in Paris after attending Bastille Day events hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, Radev also confirmed Bulgaria would not join the so-called Coalition of the Willing, a group of more than 30 nations led by France and the United Kingdom coordinating long-term security support for Ukraine.

DISTANCE FROM UKRAINE COALITION

“We are not part of a coalition that insists on continued financial and military assistance to Ukraine,” Radev said, while stressing that Bulgaria remains a committed member of both NATO and the European Union.

The Bulgarian leader added that he favours “a strong diplomatic mission” rather than an extended military confrontation.

Patriarch Kirill has remained one of the most controversial religious figures linked to the war.

The Russian Orthodox leader has repeatedly described Moscow’s invasion as a “holy war,” while critics accuse him of using his religious authority to justify Russia’s military campaign.

Under his leadership, the Russian Orthodox Church approved a document describing the invasion as a “Holy War” and calling for the elimination of Ukrainian independence, drawing widespread international criticism.

SANCTIONS DEADLOCK

The European Union first attempted to sanction Kirill in 2022, but Hungary under then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blocked the proposal, arguing that targeting a religious leader would undermine freedom of religion.

That position changed after Hungary’s new government under Prime Minister Péter Magyar indicated it would no longer oppose sanctions against the patriarch.

Diplomats said Bulgaria’s objections led to the removal of both Kirill and Alekperov from the draft sanctions package during negotiations among EU ambassadors.

However, the sanctions package as a whole has yet to receive unanimous approval, with diplomats continuing negotiations over additional measures targeting Russia’s energy, financial and trade sectors.

The dispute underscored the challenge facing the European Union as it seeks to maintain unity over sanctions against Moscow while balancing the differing political, religious and economic interests of its 27 member states.

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