Key facts
- Bulgaria vetoed proposed EU sanctions against Patriarch Kirill and Lukoil founder Vagit Alekperov.
- The EU removed Patriarch Kirill and Vagit Alekperov from the sanctions list following Bulgaria's objection.
- Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova argued that sanctions should have economic consequences, not just symbolic ones.
- Petrova-Chamova warned that symbolic sanctions could foster anti-European sentiment in countries like Bulgaria.
- The EU's proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia included Patriarch Kirill, who has made statements supporting the invasion of Ukraine.
Bulgaria has vetoed the European Union's proposed 21st package of sanctions against Russia, specifically targeting Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and Vagit Alekperov, the founder of Lukoil. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Velislava Petrova-Chamova, stated that her government's objection was rooted in the belief that sanctions should possess economic impact rather than being purely symbolic. She warned that symbolic measures risk fueling anti-European rhetoric, particularly in Eastern Orthodox countries like Bulgaria, which share deep cultural and historical ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.
The EU executive had proposed sanctioning Patriarch Kirill, who has been accused of condoning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and referring to it as a "holy war." However, at Bulgaria's behest, his name was removed from the draft proposal during a meeting of European ambassadors. The sanctions package, which also included measures against Alekperov, failed to be approved by EU foreign ministers and is set for renegotiation. The delay could impact the EU's oil price cap mechanism, which is scheduled for revision on July 15. Petrova-Chamova is set to travel to Kyiv on the same day to discuss energy security, expressing concern about potentially presenting a mechanism that benefits the Russian government.
Separately, EU foreign ministers also discussed options for curbing trade between the EU and illegal Israeli settlements, a topic on which Petrova-Chamova expressed a lack of clarity regarding endorsement.