Great Britain today imposed sanctions on Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, as part of a new series of measures in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The 75-year-old Patriarch of Moscow, who was recently blacklisted by the EU, is being “sanctioned for his support for Putin’s war”, the British Foreign Office clarified in a statement.
The sanctions imposed today, which include a ban on entry to British territory and an asset freeze in Britain, also target Maria Lvova-Belova, the Kremlin’s commissioner for children’s rights, because of ” the forced adoption and transfer of Ukrainian children”.
Also targeted by the new sanctions are transport chiefs and military officers accused of “killing, raping and torturing civilians” in Butchnya, near Kiev.
“We are targeting Putin’s accomplices and perpetrators of the war who are causing untold suffering in Ukraine, most notably the forced transfer and adoption of children from Ukraine,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss underlined in the statement.
Patriarch Kirill put his Church at the service of Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a “miracle” and supporting the attack on Ukraine.
The European Commission had proposed imposing sanctions on Patriarch Kirill, but the EU did not take this step because of Hungary’s opposition.
