Православное рождественское богослужение в Храме Христа Спасителя в Москве
Czechs put Russian Patriarch Kirill on sanctions list over Ukraine
Reuters: The Czech government has made the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, the first person on its national sanctions list due to his support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said on Wednesday.
Kirill, 76, was listed by his civil name of Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyayev on the sanctions roster, which is posted on the Foreign Ministry's website.
His inclusion means he is barred from entry to the Czech Republic, a European Union and NATO member country, and banned from any financial transactions with Czechs.
"His frequent public remarks supporting the war in Ukraine, justifying atrocities committed by Russian troops there, those are all clear evidence that can be publicly found," Lipavsky told a televised news conference.
Patriarch Kirill is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and has strongly backed the war in Ukraine, in which tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions driven from their homes. Russia denies accusations of war crimes in Ukraine.
The 27-nation EU as a whole tried to put Kirill on its sanctions list last year but member states failed to find unanimity on the issue as Hungary opposed his inclusion.
On Tuesday, Kirill branded Russians who fail to serve their country as "internal enemies" and described patriotism as the "greatest virtue", the RIA state news agency reported.
In World
-
As the 2024 presidential campaign enters its final weeks, former President Barack Obama has decided to actively support Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. His decision comes amid growing concerns within the party about the Harris campaign’s effectiveness in crucial swing states, particularly when compared to the more aggressive strategy employed by Republican candidate Donald Trump.
-
The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad has been planning an operation to disable Hezbollah's communications network for more than two years, according to a report by The Washington Post, which cites American, Israeli, and Middle Eastern sources. The operation, which targeted thousands of pagers used by the Lebanese militant group, is described as one of the most sophisticated Mossad undertakings in recent years.
-
Saudi TV channel "Al-Hadath" citing its own sources reported on Saturday that in Beirut, a missile strike eliminated officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the successor to Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah - Hashim Safi al-Din.
-
The war in Ukraine could conclude with an agreement granting Kyiv robust security guarantees while allowing Moscow to retain de facto, but not de jure, control over occupied territories. This scenario is being increasingly discussed not only by Western but also by Ukrainian officials, the Financial Times reported.
Leave a review