Ukrainian govt approves proposed sanctions against Patriarch Kirill

MOSCOW. Aug 30 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government has upheld the proposals on applying personal sanctions against Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and some other Russian Orthodox Church officials, the governmental website said on Tuesday.

Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) received the relevant initiative from the Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada, in late May. Supposedly, the sanctions will be introduced for ten years.

The NSDC and the Ukrainian president have yet to consider the list of individuals to be sanctioned.

Apart from the Russian patriarch, the list of individuals to be sanctioned by Ukraine may include Metropolitan of Budapest Hilarion, former head of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department of External Church Relations, former deputy head of the same department Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, Metropolitan Tikhon, Archbishop Pitirim, Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov, Archpriest Andrei Tkachev and Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy Alexei Osipov.

The sanctions imply freezing of assets, termination of transit with regard to any resources, a ban on flights and travel across Ukraine, a suspension of the fulfillment of any economic and financial obligations, a ban on any participation in privatizing or renting any state property, any cultural exchange or cooperation, the annulment of any official visits, etc.