IMHO, it all comes down to this Russian Orthodox Patriarch not being too happy WHO IS THE POPE right now.
If it was Pope Benedict and not Pope Francis, the Russian Orthodox Patriarch himself would be a LOT MORE OPEN to unity between east and west.
I respectfully disagree. While it is certainly true that we Orthodox held B16 in high regard, it would be a mistake to try and gloss over the very real theological differences that separates Rome from Orthodoxy. The unhappy truth is that there are conflicting points of doctrine and dogma, starting with the mutually exclusive claims that both churches have to being the “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church” spoken of in the Creed. For communion to be restored one of them is going to have to do a lot of climbing down. And speaking of the Creed... we don’t recite the same one anymore.