Bulgaria succeeded in its opposition to blacklisting Patriarch Kirill and Vagit Alekperov, as both contentious names were removed from the EU sanctions package that remains under negotiation. #EuropeNews

Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill and Lukoil founder Vagit Alekperov have been removed from the draft 21st EU package of sanctions against Russia.

The European Union will not impose sanctions on the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and the chief of Russia’s largest private oil company, after Bulgaria vetoed the proposal.