Bulgaria opposed the EU's 21st package of sanctions over Patriarch Kirill

Bulgaria has officially announced its refusal to support the European Union’s new, 21st package of sanctions against Russia due to the intention to include Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, on the sanctions list. The Bulgarian side views such restrictions as direct interference in religious affairs, as diplomatic representatives noted during discussions of the draft. 

In addition to the religious issue, several member states of the bloc, including Bulgaria, expressed reservations regarding the proposed economic restrictions in the energy sector. 

In particular, disputes arose over the European Commission’s initiative to freeze the price cap on oil from Russia in order to prevent further increases in its price on the global market. Further efforts to reach a compromise and review all points of the draft sanctions document will continue at the next official meeting of the EU Committee of Permanent Representatives.

The publication European Truth reports on the closed-door meetings of European ambassadors, citing its own anonymous sources in Brussels.

The European Union is developing new entry restriction mechanisms for certain categories of Russian citizens. Specifically, this concerns Russian military personnel who participated in the war against Ukraine.

Ukraine has introduced a new package of sanctions against Russian commanders who directed missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, as well as against ships providing military logistics support to Russia.