Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rumen Radev says he will consider vetoing the European Union’s latest sanctions package against Russia. According to reports, the Bulgarian government’s objections focus on specific individuals included in the measure: Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and former Lukoil president Vagit Alekperov. The issue raised in Bulgarian statements is not described as a general rejection of sanctions, but rather as opposition to the inclusion of these figures in the EU list.
The DW reporting frames the situation as a political dispute over how EU sanctions lists are constructed and justified, with Bulgaria signalling that it may use its veto power to challenge the scope of the package. The reports also indicate that the disagreement is tied to the identity of the sanctioned individuals rather than to the overall EU aim of restricting Russia’s access to resources.
As of the reporting, the EU is weighing whether Bulgaria’s threat will affect adoption of the sanctions, while Bulgaria maintains its stance that the current list should be reconsidered.
