The European Union was unable to secure sanctions against Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's Orthodox Church, after Bulgaria vetoed the proposal during closed-door negotiations, citing religious and cultural reasons.
Bulgaria also opposed blacklisting Vagit Alekperov, a Russian billionaire with links to the Kremlin and Lukoil, a major oil company.
The two names were definitely removed from a draft sanctions package during an extraordinary meeting of ambassadors on Sunday aimed at reaching a final deal, several diplomats confirmed to Euronews. The deal on the package as a whole did not materialise, but progress was made towards a conclusion this week.
The removal was widely expected given Bulgaria's firm commitment to veto the measure, a position that Prime Minister Rumen Radev publicly confirmed last month. It is unusual for a sitting leader to comment publicly on details that are still under negotiation.
"What message are we sending when we extend sanctions and war into the sphere of religion? Do we realise where this leads?" Radev said.
