Bulgaria has successfully pushed the European Union to remove Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and former Lukoil chief Vagit Alekperov from its proposed 21st sanctions package, which also softens several other measures against Russia.

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.