News2025.01.28 15:16

Lithuania’s deputy minister of finance steps down over disloyalty allegations

BNS 2025.01.28 15:16

Lithuanian Deputy Finance Minister Valentin Gavrilov has announced he is stepping down amid controversy over his accounts on Russian social media and celebrating Soviet Victory Day. 

“Endless discussions and doubts about my ability to perform my duties are not helping the efficient work of the entire ministry. Therefore, I have decided to resign as deputy finance minister,” he posted on Facebook.

Gavrilov said that the Finance Ministry has numerous important and urgent issues that require the full attention of the team.

Despite stepping down, he said he believes he has addressed recent public concerns about his loyalty to Lithuania.

Gavrilov first faced criticism earlier in January when the media highlighted his Facebook posts in which he shared images from the May 9 Victory Day commemoration in Vilnius and supported calls to stop the blockade of the Astravyets nuclear power plant in Belarus and not to increase military funding.

Following a public outcry, the vice minister said he had decided to commemorate the end of World War Two on May 8.

Gavrilov came under fire again after LRT RADIO reported that he had an account on the Russian social platform VKontakte, where he shared a playlist “glorifying” the Soviet Union.

Both Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius have publicly expressed confidence in Gavrilov’s loyalty to Lithuania.

“As I have already said, I have had no reason to doubt Valentin Gavrilov’s loyalty to Lithuania or his professional competence, but the public’s expectations of politicians are, quite rightly, higher than that,” Šadžius said in a press release.

The finance minister added that Gavrilov, as a citizen and as a politician, understands this and has made a “selfless decision to step down voluntarily”.

“I respect his responsible decision and thank him for our work together,” he said.

At the Finance Ministry, Gavrilov was in charge of financial policy, EU affairs and international relations.

LRT has been certified according to the Journalism Trust Initiative Programme

Newest, Most read