Italy voiced opposition to oroposed EU sanctions on Patriarch Kirill of Moscow

Italy has joined Bulgaria in voicing concerns about plans to sanction Russia’s Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, according to three EU diplomats informed on the deliberations, as reported by Politico .

Chief EU diplomat Kaja Kallas has proposed an EU visa ban for Kirill, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has repeatedly praised and justified Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as part of the EU’s 21st package of sanctions against Russia.

But the move has run into objections from Bulgaria, which has a substantial Orthodox population, as well as a “reservation” — diplomatic language for concerns that need to be resolved, short of a veto — from Rome.

The three diplomats were granted anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations on sanctions. Rome’s concern stems from the Vatican and centers on unease about sanctioning the leader of a Christian denomination, according to one of the diplomats. A spokesperson from Italy’s permanent representation to the EU declined to comment.

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