Politico reported on Italy's refusal to support EU sanctions against Patriarch Kirill

Italy has expressed concern about Brussels' plans to impose sanctions against Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. This was reported by the Politico newspaper on July 3, citing sources among European diplomats.

According to the report, Italian representatives expressed their concerns during closed-door discussions on the contents of the 21st package of anti-Russian sanctions. As one of the sources noted, "Rome's concern comes from the position of the Vatican," which does not support the imposition of restrictions on the religious leader.

"This step has provoked objections from Bulgaria, which has a significant Orthodox population, as well as a "reservation" — a diplomatic term for concerns that need to be resolved without resorting to a veto — from Rome," the article says.

Prior to that, on June 17, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova said that Sofia does not support restrictions on the patriarch because such measures have no economic effect and may be counterproductive.

Restrictive faith: the EU has reached a consensus on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia

However, the next restrictions will not have a significant impact on the Russian economy, experts believe.

In early June, the European Commission proposed adding Patriarch Kirill to the EU sanctions list as part of the 21st package of restrictions on Russia. It is noted that the patriarch's name has been added to a broader package of sanctions. It was clarified that the first attempt to blacklist the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was made back in 2022.