Russian Orthodox head escapes EU sanctions thanks to Orban

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Prses

BRUSSELS (AP) — The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has been removed from the latest round of European Union measures to punish Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the insistence of Hungary. Patriarch Kirill had been initially included in the list of individuals the bloc wanted to sanction but the proposal needed to be approved unanimously. It was removed at the insistence of Hungary,  Moscow’s closest ally within the bloc. Kirill, the head of one of the largest and most influential churches in Eastern Orthodoxy, has justified Russia’s invasion on spiritual grounds, describing it as a “metaphysical” battle against the West and its “gay parades.” The Hungarian government said sanctioning Kirill would have been inappropriate on grounds of respect for religious freedom.