Coat of Arms of Lithuania

courtesy Wikimedia, public domain,

Excerpted from the Kyiv Post:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania has confirmed a ban on the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Vladimir Gundyaev (AKA ‘Patriarch Kirill’), from entering their country. This latest move is part of a continued effort by European nations to sanction Kirill over his support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

“Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, is one of the most active supporters of the war against Ukraine,” the ministry said. “He has repeatedly publicly approved the aggression carried out by Russia.”

A letter posted on the Orthodox Church of Ukraine’s official website stated that “the moral responsibility for the committed crimes rests not only on the direct perpetrators, but also on their ideological inspirers – Moscow Patriarch Kirill and like-minded hierarchs.”

Previously, on July 8, Canada imposed sanctions against 29 citizens of Russia. Among them were Kirill.

…

Great Britain was the first country to impose sanctions against Patriarch Kirill. On June 16, an official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the head of the Russian Orthodox Church was banned from entering the country due to his “blessing” of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Glory to Ukraine!