Bulgaria rejects sanctions that damage economy, says PM Radev

Prime Minister of Bulgaria Rumen Radev said Thursday that Bulgaria won't allow sanctions against Russia, that harm the Bulgarian economy.

"We won't allow sanctions against Russia, that impact negatively the Bulgarian economy," he told reporters ahead of the opening of a national meeting of local and central executive authorities in Sofia.

Radev's comment comes a day after Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said that Bulgaria would not support sanctions against Russia's Patriarch Kirill.

The Prime Minister told the press Thursday they will see how Bulgaria votes "after I discuss all details with my colleagues" at the European Council June 18-19 in Brussels, CE Report quotes BTA.

The EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss "issues that impact both citizens and companies, including competitiveness, the EU's long-term budget for 2028 to 2034, Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, migration and illicit drugs", according to the European Council announcement. At the start of the meeting, the leaders will hear from President Zelenskyy on the latest developments in Ukraine, which will be his first pitch in this format after Viktor Orban lost the elections in Hungary.

Radev also said: "This war (in Ukraine) has long since moved beyond the battlefield and spread into the economy, energy, sports and culture, and now it is beginning to encompass religion as well. I believe the era of the Crusades is over. [...] I am not interested in the Russian Patriarch himself. What concerns me is that he is the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, which belongs to the same Eastern Orthodox tradition as our own church. I am concerned about the millions of people who are members of that church," Radev said.

Asked whether he condemns the Russian attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Prime Minister replied that he "condemns any attack on civilian sites".

Radev also said that it is time to assess how sanctions against Russia have contributed to achieving peace in Ukraine.

Photo: Wikipedia