Bulgaria to Block Latest EU Sanctions Package Against Russia

Bulgaria has announced it will block the European Union's 21st package of sanctions against Russia, which the European Commission unveiled last week. The latest package would include measures targeting Russian Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, who has been a vocal supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine. EU sanctions packages require unanimous approval from all member states, meaning a single country's veto is sufficient to block their adoption. Bulgaria, which has a significant cultural and religious connection to the Russian Orthodox Church, has previously expressed reservations about measures targeting religious figures. The move complicates EU efforts to maintain a united front in its economic and political pressure campaign against Moscow over the ongoing war in Ukraine.