Lithuanian deputy finance minister resigns over criticism of his posts about the Russian Armed Forces

Lithuanian Deputy Finance Minister Valentin Gavrilov announced on Tuesday, January 28, that he was resigning from his post over reports that he had a VKontakte account that hosted a playlist with songs glorifying the Armed Forces (AF) of Russia and the USSR.

"I believe that I have answered the questions that have recently been raised in the public space about my loyalty to Lithuania," he wrote on his Facebook page (owned by the recognized extremist company Meta, its activities are banned in Russia).

Gavrilov noted that despite his real position, constant doubts about his competence interfere with the work of the Ministry, and therefore he resigns.

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Earlier, on January 11, it was reported that Gavrilov was criticized for having congratulated his social media followers on Victory Day in the past and continuing to celebrate the date. He confirmed that he plans to continue visiting the cemetery on May 9, although he no longer posts congratulations on social media. According to Gavrilov, most of the people who go there with carnations on the commemorative date are loyal citizens.

In Lithuania, on May 1, 2023, the law "On Prohibition of Propaganda of Totalitarian, Authoritarian Regimes and their Ideologies" came into force, pursuing the goal of "desovietization" of public spaces. According to it, the St. George ribbon, the Red Star, the Victory Banner and other symbols directly related to the Great Patriotic War are banned.

Thus, on May 3, 2024, in the Latvian city of Rezekne, police detained a 48-year-old man for bringing flowers three times to the pedestal of the demolished monument "Alyosha", dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. The monument was dismantled on November 9, 2022. The man was initially wanted to be brought to administrative responsibility for "glorification of military aggression", but after interrogation the offense was reclassified as a criminal offense related to "justification of war crimes".