Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, views Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a “holy war” and may now face EU sanctions.
Ukraine has a strong chance of adding Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church to its sanctions list, according to UNIAN.
As reported by The Telegraph, the Hungarian government has blocked approximately 14 attempts by Brussels to include Kirill on sanctions lists. However, Ukraine believes that Viktor Orbán’s recent departure from power presents a new opportunity to impose punitive measures on Kirill for his support of the war.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukraine’s commissioner for sanctions policy, stated, “This is one of the issues I intend to examine in detail — oligarchs and patriarchs who have long been absent from the list due to influential supporters, particularly within the government. This issue needs to be reviewed.”
Attempts to include Kirill on the sanctions list began due to his support for the war. In the spring of 2022, the European Commission proposed adding him to the list of Putin’s supporters as part of the EU’s sixth package of sanctions against Moscow. However, Hungary vetoed that package and delayed it until Kirill was removed from consideration. This veto was maintained through 14 additional rounds of anti-Russian sanctions before Brussels ultimately abandoned plans to include him.
Despite this, Kirill is already on the sanctions lists of at least seven countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Ukraine, Australia, and several EU member states that have taken unilateral measures against him.
Who Is Kirill, Really?
Patriarch Kirill is a former KGB agent and a longtime supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has referred to dissidents as “traitors to the motherland” and has expelled or removed Russian priests who opposed the war in Ukraine or who communicated with opposition figures.
Kirill’s position on the war has led to criticism, including a remark from the late Pope Francis, who called him “Putin’s altar boy” in 2022.
In November 2025, Kirill stated that Russian soldiers fighting against Ukrainians were not violating the Bible’s sixth commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.”