The Russian Patriarch did not set out to shoot with a Kalashnikov and make drones in order to be sanctioned. This was said in the program “This Saturday“ on bTV by Prof. Rumen Milanov, MP from “Progressive Bulgaria“. On Thursday, before the regular meeting of the European Council in Brussels, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that Bulgaria would demand that the Russian Patriarch Kirill be removed from the 21st package of sanctions against Russia. His statement was met with criticism from the other parties in the National Assembly.
“They say that Bulgaria is not loyal to Europe. But it is more important that it is loyal to Bulgaria. This case shows that we have a position on certain issues that ultimately correspond to our interests“, emphasized Prof. Milanov.
According to him, the Russian Patriarch should be viewed more broadly and be tied to Orthodoxy.
„What is the purpose of the sanctions? This is an economic mechanism to force Russia to stop the war and go to negotiations“, he explained and asked what the sanctions are against the Russian Patriarch.
„He didn't go shooting with a Kalashnikov? Didn't he make drones? He is the spiritual, religious leader of the Russian people. It would not be right to encroach on religious relations and especially on Orthodoxy“, the MP believes.
Prof. Milanov shared that there has been a dispute between the West and Orthodoxy for a long time. “Now this is being used to impose sanctions on the Russian Patriarch, which are sanctions on the Russian Orthodox Church“.
“The Russian Patriarch consecrates drones and missiles, but our Patriarch also consecrates flags. It's all a matter of war and the army. Is consecration an action or a procedure? Sanctions are imposed for actions. Actions are judged, not positions and opinions“, he emphasized.
According to him, this war is sacred for the various countries involved, just as, in his words, World War II was sacred. “For Russia it is certainly sacred. For Ukraine too“.
“1885 is the greatest holy war in our country. Then we make the Unification and defeat the Serbian army“, shared Prof. Milanov.
After a meeting between Rumen Radev and Patriarch Kirill in 2018, the Prime Minister, who was then President, stated that the Russian Patriarch was leaving as a politician.
„What if he leaves as a politician? Is this a basis for sanctions?“, asked Prof. Milanov. According to him, Patriarch Kirill is a spiritual person. „The action is important, not the hypotheses we create“.
He also commented on the statement of Acad. Nikolay Denkov that Bulgaria's position will isolate it from its European partners.
„Where are the economic consequences? We have set out to build a modern state, and we work with the words of X and Y, which we accept as authoritative“, he commented.
According to him, we do not pursue a different policy towards Russia. “We are talking about our position as an Orthodox state towards Orthodoxy. It will be interesting to see what the position of Greece and Cyprus is“.
“Bulgaria can quite easily be a mediator for peace between Russia and Ukraine. It is a member of NATO and the EU. It is quite normal to have such a position“, believes Prof. Milanov.