Ukraine’s MFA: Working to introduce sanctions against Patriarch Kirill
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has called on the European Union to return the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to its sanctions lists, taking advantage of the absence of a veto from Hungary’s leadership.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said work is underway to return Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, to the European Union’s sanctions lists. According to him, Kyiv is actively seeking to include in new sanctions packages those individuals who were previously removed under pressure from Hungary’s leadership, which had abused its veto power. This was reported by European Pravda.
“In recent months and weeks, Minister Sybiha has been working very actively to get these people back on the list. If Orban is no longer there, let’s do it,” Tykhyi said at a briefing. The spokesman stressed that Kyiv is aiming to return “big fish” to the lists, including the primate of the Moscow Patriarchate.
He also expressed hope that the names of other Russians included in the updated list would become known soon. The ministry’s representative added that Ukraine plans to find out what conditions Orban’s cabinet had put forward in the past for removing certain individuals from restrictions.
As previously reported by the UOJ, the European Union included Patriarch Kirill in a new sanctions list.
