Italy Joins Bulgaria in Opposing EU Sanctions on Patriarch Kirill

Italy has joined Bulgaria in objecting to EU plans to impose a visa ban on Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, according to three EU diplomats. Rome’s concerns center on unease about sanctioning the leader of a Christian denomination. The proposal is part of the EU’s 21st sanctions package targeting Russia’s military-industrial and financial sectors. Other disputes within the package include a proposed freeze on the Russian oil price cap and a ban on former Russian combatants entering the EU.