Psaki Does Not Rule Out U.S. Sanctions Against Patriarch Kirill

“No one is immune from U.S. sanctions,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, commenting on the possibility of the U.S. imposing sanctions against Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia. This was reported by TASS.

Agence France-Presse stated that the EU is preparing to impose restrictions on Patriarch Kirill as part of the sixth package of sanctions. In response to a question about the possibility of the same sanctions being implemented by Washington, Psaki indicated that the U.S. “continues to explore options” but has “nothing to announce at this time.”

Psaki also mentioned that she is “unaware of recent phone conversations between U.S. President Joe Biden and Pope Francis.” When asked what Biden’s stance would be if the pontiff traveled to Russia, Psaki replied, “I haven’t discussed that with him.” She “speculated” that Biden would “respect the Pope’s decision to undertake any trips or establish connections he deemed appropriate.”

It is worth noting that Biden is the second Catholic president in U.S. history after John F. Kennedy. Pope Francis has admitted that NATO plays a negative role in escalating the Ukrainian crisis.