The Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed the recently expired ‘Magnitsky List,’ which allows Estonia to ban foreigners they find guilty of human rights abuses. They have now banned 58 Russians from entering the country, including the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, for his support of the Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine.
“Patriarch Kirill is one of the greatest adherents and proponents of Putin’s ideology,” said Margus Tsahkna, the country’s foreign minister.
In 2022, the Ukrainians and the British imposed sanctions on Kirill, but a European Union effort in June 2022 was blocked by Hungary, which demanded Kirill be removed from the list before it would assent to the EU’s Russian Oil ban.
Hungary, which is often criticised for being too soft on Russia, recently welcomed the Catholic Pope. If Europe is to find a political rapprochement through its churches, Hungary’s national values may be best suited to host the conversation.
The United States has also not sanctioned the Orthodox leader, despite calls for action from Ukrainian activists and others.
The European Parliament Sought solace by passing a resolution which, in its own words, “Condemns the role of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, for providing theological cover for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.”
