Bulgaria Emerges as New Obstacle to EU Sanctions: Patriarch Kirill Removed from Latest Package.

EU Sanctions Debate and Its Repercussions for the Russian Orthodox Church

According to Espreso.tv: International law expert Andriy Smoliy has weighed in on how Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and figures from Russia's oil and gas sector have managed to evade European Union sanctions. According to Smoliy, Kirill Gundyayev—widely recognized as Patriarch Kirill—has been working to dodge sanctions since 2022, achieving some notable success. While Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria have long been the primary holdouts against such measures, recent reports suggest Bulgaria may now join their ranks as a new opponent of EU sanctions.

Shifting Stances Among EU Member States

Smoliy noted that after Hungary "roughly 50-50 dropped off" the list of opponents, Bulgaria appears poised to take its place. He also speculated that, given Bulgaria's position and its ruling coalition, Kirill Gundyayev might be excluded from future sanction packages altogether.

“Such sanction packages are inherently doomed to fail,” Smoliy emphasized.

It was also highlighted that the EU's 21st sanctions package was only approved after lengthy negotiations. According to Bulgaria's foreign minister, the names of Kirill Gundyayev and Vagit Alekperov were removed from this package. This shift in stance among certain EU member states on sanctions policy could have serious implications for the bloc's future approach in this area.

The discussion of sanctions and their impact on the Russian church and oil-and-gas sector underscores the evolving positions within the EU. The removal of Kirill Gundyayev’s name from the latest sanctions package may signal a change in the political climate inside the European Union, as well as Bulgaria's potential influence on shaping common European policy. This could open new maneuvering room for both Russia and European countries with divergent interests in their relations with Moscow.