The European Union will once again face an uphill struggle to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's Orthodox Church.
After Hungary lifted its long-standing veto, Bulgaria has emerged as the new obstacle in the decision, which requires unanimity.
The opposition was confirmed on Thursday by the country's new prime minister, Rumen Radev, before he flew to Brussels to attend his first-ever EU summit.
"What message are we sending when we extend sanctions and war into the sphere of religion? Do we realise where this leads?" Radev told reporters in Sofia.
"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. I am concerned about the millions of people who belong to that church."
