The European Union has once again failed to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, after Bulgaria exercised its veto during closed-door negotiations. Sofia also blocked the blacklisting of Vagit Alekperov, the billionaire founder of Lukoil, citing both religious and economic reasons.
During an extraordinary meeting of EU ambassadors on Sunday, the two names were definitively removed from a draft sanctions package, several diplomats confirmed to European Pulse. While the broader package remains under negotiation, progress was made toward a final agreement expected later this week.
Religious and Political Tensions
Bulgaria's opposition was widely anticipated after Prime Minister Rumen Radev publicly confirmed his government's stance last month. It is unusual for a sitting leader to comment on details still under negotiation, but Radev was unequivocal: "What message are we sending when we extend sanctions and war into the sphere of religion? Do we realise where this leads?"
Patriarch Kirill is a highly controversial figure who wields both religious and political influence. He has been accused of spreading revisionist propaganda to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Under his leadership, the Russian Orthodox Church approved a document calling for the annihilation of Ukrainian independence and describing the war as a "Holy War."
The EU first attempted to blacklist Kirill in 2022, but Hungary—then under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—blocked the move on grounds of religious freedom. That veto caused outrage among member states. The issue lay dormant until this spring, when Hungary's new government under Péter Magyar signaled a willingness to shift its position. EU officials seized on the U-turn and added Kirill's name to a draft sanctions list, only to encounter Bulgaria's firm opposition.
Radev argued that sanctioning Kirill would harm the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is the primary confession in many Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Russia, and Ukraine. "The era of the Crusades is over. I am not interested in the Russian Patriarch as an individual. I am interested in the fact that he is the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is Eastern Orthodox, just like our church," he said. "I am concerned about the millions of people who belong to that church."
Economic Calculations Behind the Veto
Bulgaria also pushed to spare Vagit Alekperov, the Russian oligarch who founded Lukoil. Alekperov stepped down as president in 2022 amid mounting international pressure but retained shares in the energy firm. Radev argued that blacklisting him would be "shooting ourselves in the foot" because of a €3 billion compensation claim that Lukoil has launched against the state takeover of the Neftohim Burgas refinery, the largest in the region.
Sofia appointed a special administrator to the sprawling plant in November 2025 after the US administration imposed crippling sanctions on Lukoil, forcing the multinational to put its international operations up for sale. The economic stakes are high, and Bulgaria's veto reflects a broader tension between EU solidarity and national interests.
The stalemate over Kirill and Alekperov comes amid a wider context of EU sanctions policy. The bloc has struggled to maintain unity on Russia-related measures, as seen in recent NATO summit discussions where European defense spending failed to secure US protection. Meanwhile, the EU has pursued targeted sanctions on Russian scientists involved in the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, as reported in EU Imposes Sanctions on Six Russian Scientists Over Navalny Poisoning.
The Bulgarian veto underscores the delicate balance the EU must strike between enforcing punitive measures against Moscow and respecting the cultural and economic sensitivities of its member states. As negotiations continue, the bloc faces the challenge of maintaining credibility in its sanctions regime while accommodating the diverse priorities of its twenty-seven members.
