EU state’s FM accused of ‘preparing to flee country’

Lithuania’s Gabrielius Landsbergis is suspected of buying a villa in Greece just before the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict so he could escape if the hostilities spilled over

Lithuanian opposition MPs have accused the country’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, of making preparations to flee the country right before the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in 2022 in the event the hostilities were to spill over, several news outlets have reported.

The accusations come after Lithuanian media reported last week that in February 2022, just before the fighting between Moscow and Kiev broke out, Landsbergis’ wife made an advance payment of €250,000 ($273,000) on a luxury villa on a Greek island.

According to the news outlet Lietuvos rytas, the property in question includes a 313 square-meter house with two terraces and a 23 square-meter guest house. Both Lithuanian and Greek flags have reportedly been seen on the grounds of the villa, which is said to be hidden from prying eyes behind a tall fence.

“It was clear that war in Ukraine was inevitable. It is obvious that Landsbergis, in the face of a difficult geopolitical situation, was ready to sharpen his skis,” opposition MP Agnes Sirinskiene told Delfi, adding that she was shocked by the timing of the purchase.

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Landsbergis himself has yet to comment on the accusations as he is currently on vacation and is expected to return to work only in September.

In the meantime, the news outlet Respublika has reported that opposition MPs are preparing a series of questions for the foreign minister that will be asked at the next plenary session of the Lithuanian parliament.

“If some other family had bought real estate somewhere on the island just before the war, it might not have raised much suspicion. However, when the minister of foreign affairs, who probably has the most information about the possible war in Ukraine, behaves in this way, it requires explanations,” Lithuanian MP Aidas Gedvilas said.

Landsbergis, who has been one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine, has repeatedly claimed that Russia could attack another European country if it were allowed to win in Ukraine. He has also called for regime change in Moscow and has urged NATO to give the Ukrainian military “everything we have.”

Russia has repeatedly condemned Landsbergis’ comments, describing his “extremist” ideas as “unacceptable behavior for the head of a foreign ministry.” Moscow has placed personal sanctions on the minister and threatened him with criminal liability for his calls to overthrow the Russian government.

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