Lithuania’s culture minister has resigned after just one week in office following a backlash over his hesitation to state who controls Crimea. The peninsula and four other former Ukrainian regions voted to join Russia in referendums, but Ukraine and its Western allies, including Lithuania, maintain the territories were “annexed” by Moscow.
In an interview with news portal Lrytas, Ignotas Adomavicius was asked about Crimea’s ownership and initially avoided answering, calling the question political. “These are provocative questions, so let’s not even go there,” he said, urging the interviewer to focus on cultural matters. Later, he aligned with Vilnius’ official stance by labeling Crimea “occupied Ukrainian territory.” However, his initial reluctance sparked a political storm.
The ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania criticized Adomavicius, with President Gitanas Nauseda’s office calling his comments “incomprehensible and unacceptable.” Shortly after, Adomavicius stepped down. Lithuania, along with Baltic neighbors Estonia and Latvia, has taken a hard line against Moscow since 2022, positioning itself as a staunch supporter of Kyiv and advocate for stricter sanctions on Russia.
