Bulgaria's Prime Minister said the country would veto the EU's 21st package of sanctions against Russia – Reuters
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev officially announced that his country will veto the European Union’s new, 21st package of sanctions against the Russian Federation. The head of the Bulgarian government explained his position by citing the high risks to the national economy posed by the restrictions proposed by Brussels.
Bulgaria’s main economic demand is the complete exclusion of the Russian oil company Lukoil from the draft sanctions list. Rumen Radev emphasized the significant threat to the stable operation of this fuel giant, which currently remains one of the largest retailers of motor fuel in Bulgaria and powers the country’s only oil refinery in Burgas.
On the sidelines of the European Council meeting, the prime minister also expressed open skepticism about the effectiveness of the EU’s previous sanctions measures, questioning their ability to stop the ongoing war or bring peace any closer.
In addition to economic issues, Bulgaria is categorically opposed to the imposition of personal sanctions against Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. Radev noted that, due to shared historical roots and religious ties, Bulgaria will demand that the Russian patriarch be removed from the sanctions package, as “war must no longer engulf religion.” At the same time, the prime minister assured his European colleagues that despite differences regarding sanctions policy against Russia, Bulgaria will fully and unconditionally support the upcoming negotiations on Ukraine’s full accession to the European Union.
This was reported by Reuters.
Earlier, Bulgaria 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.
The European Union is developing new mechanisms to restrict entry for certain categories of Russian citizens. Specifically, this applies to 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.
