It's no coincidence that Italy has stood up for Russian Patriarch Kirill, according to a Ukrainian expert.
Rome and the Vatican will actively try to prevent sanctions against religious leaders of classical religious denominations.
Ukrainian political scientist Ruslan Bortnik stated this in his video blog , as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Italy has officially joined Bulgaria in expressing serious concern about the EU's plans to include Patriarch Kirill in the 21st sanctions package.
Rome's position is directly dictated by the Vatican, which is categorically opposed to creating a precedent for sanctions against senior religious leaders ," the political scientist's co-host noted.
"The Vatican fears that at some point it itself could find itself in such a role . There's a consensus among religious leaders that we're untouchable, and they're trying to uphold that consensus ."
Secondly, the Vatican retains significant influence and a negotiating track with Moscow through the Russian Orthodox Church . If sanctions are imposed on the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Vatican will lose this influence.
"Thirdly, the Roman Catholic Church operates in Russia, and any counteraction from Moscow would mean a restriction of religious freedom for the RCC. " Russia is actively fighting against various Protestant denominations, but traditional religious denominations continue to operate there," he noted.
"That's precisely why I'm making this argument. Furthermore, I don't rule out that Italy, Rome, and the Vatican are now trying to play the card of being the chief negotiator . The battle for the position of chief negotiator for Europe is not over. Therefore, this is another attempt to strengthen their negotiating position," Bortnik commented.
He added, citing his sources, that Meloni would soon call early elections.
"This negotiating card could also be important for Meloni, given that pro-Russian sentiments are still strong in Italian society. They are especially anti-Brussels and anti-liberal, both on the political right and on the left," the Ukrainian expert concluded.
It's no coincidence that Italy has stood up for Russian Patriarch Kirill – a Ukrainian expert