Italy and Bulgaria have signaled formal resistance to the proposed EU sanctions on Patriarch Kirill as negotiations over Brussels’ 21st punitive package against Russia intensify, Politico reported. The decision by Rome and Sofia to oppose the blacklisting of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church has created fresh diplomatic hurdles for the European Union ahead of its mid-July implementation deadline.
The European Commission’s latest package seeks to impose travel bans and asset freezes on the religious leader for consistently supporting Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. While Hungary previously blocked similar measures under its former administration, Bulgaria’s newly appointed government and Italian diplomats are now arguing that including a spiritual figure amounts to interference in religious affairs. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova explicitly criticized the EU sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, labeling them as purely symbolic and likely counterproductive.
Beyond ecclesiastical restrictions, the dissenting nations have also voiced serious reservations regarding energy-related measures within the draft package. Specifically, objections have been raised over proposals to freeze the Russian oil price cap, which Sofia claims could disproportionately harm domestic economies. Because EU sanctions require unanimous approval from all 27 member states, the combined pushback from Italy and Bulgaria threatens to delay or dilute the final text before the upcoming July 15 review deadline.
