Bulgaria ‘won’t allow’ sanctions on Russia that hurt its own economy: Premier

Bulgaria‘s premier on Thursday drew a line against sanctions on Russia that would hurt its own economy.

“We won’t allow sanctions against Russia that impact negatively the Bulgarian economy,” Rumen Radev told reporters in Sofia, according to the national Bulgarian News Agency.

His remarks came a day after Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said Sofia would not support sanctions against Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

Radev said Bulgaria’s position at this week’s European Council summit in Brussels would be decided after consultations with colleagues.

He also questioned the effectiveness of sanctions imposed on Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, saying: “It is time to assess how sanctions against Russia have contributed to achieving peace in Ukraine.”

On proposals for sanctions on Kirill, Radev said the conflict had expanded beyond the battlefield into other spheres, including religion.

He added that his concern is not with the patriarch personally but with the millions of believers belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Asked about a Russian attack on the Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv, Radev said he condemns “any attack on civilian sites.”

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to discuss competitiveness, the bloc’s long-term budget, Ukraine, the Middle East, migration, and other issues, according to the European Council.