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Ukraine’s parliament votes to impose sanctions against Patriarch Kiriil, says MP

The sanctions list also includes Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion, who is chairman of the Department of External Church Relations at the Moscow Patriarchate, his deputy, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, and Metropolitan of Pskov and Porkhov Tikhon

KIEV, May 31. /TASS/. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has approved sanctions against Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and other Russian Orthodox Church clerics for the period of 10 years, Alexey Goncharenko said on Tuesday.

"Rada has voted to impose sanctions against Patriarch Kirill," the lawmaker said in a post on his Telegram channel.

This decision is yet to be discussed at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, he added.

The sanctions list also includes Metropolitan of Volokolamsk Hilarion (Alfeyev), who is chairman of the Department of External Church Relations at the Moscow Patriarchate, his deputy, Archpriest Nikolay Balashov, and Metropolitan of Pskov and Porkhov Tikhon (Shevkunov).

The bill on sanctions was submitted to the Rada on April 29. The sanctions proposed include a ban on entry, blocking of assets, restrictions on trade operations, ban on cultural exchanges, scientific cooperation, official visits, and on using Ukraine’s radio frequencies, visa restrictions, and the deprivation of Ukrainian state awards.

The sanctions are due to "systemic and active" support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine.