Bulgaria Reportedly Signals Opposition to EU Sanctions Against Russian Patriarch Kirill
Sofia says the move would protect economic stability and block a package that EU diplomats expect to require unanimous approval.
- On June 18, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that Sofia will veto the European Union's 21st sanctions package if it includes measures targeting Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill.
- Radev argued the Russian Orthodox Church contributed to Bulgaria's liberation, while warning that sanctions must not pose a "significant risk for the operation of Lukoil Neftohim Burgas."
- Because the European Union requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states, Bulgaria's veto could block the package, as happened when Patriarch Kirill was shielded from sanctions in 2022.
- The European Commission introduced the package on June 9, and member states must now debate the measures through July with adoption expected by month's end despite Bulgaria's opposition.
- Analysts compare this stance to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's past clashes with the bloc, though Radev rejected the comparison when questioned about his potential role as an EU decision blocker.
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34 Articles
Bulgaria threatens to block the new package of sanctions that the European Union wants to impose on Russia! Bulgarians risk being economically affected by possible measures taken against Russian company Lukoil, which operates the only refinery in the state territory.
Dnevni list Danas
In his first appearance at the European Council summit, the new Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, adopted a fighting style similar to that of the former Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, and immediately expressed his readiness to use the right of veto on the proposed 21st package of European Union sanctions against Russia, writes the Brussels portal EUAlive (EUAlive.net).
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev threatens to prevent new sanctions against Russia, but he is afraid of the full confrontation with the EU.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that the country will veto the latest package of EU sanctions against Russia, as it could negatively affect the Bulgarian economy.
Prime Minister Radev, among other things, demands that Russian Patriarch Kirill and Lucoil be removed from the list.
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