The Citizenship Commission has put forward a suggestion to revoke Margarita Drobiazko’s Lithuanian citizenship, stemming from her ongoing performances in Russia. The president of Lithuania, vested with the authority to remove citizenship, has confirmed intentions to enforce this in the imminent future.
On the matter, President Gitanas Nausėda communicated to the media, “This issue is absolutely clear to me. So I will do it in the near future.”
He further emphasized, “I think that people who want to carry the light of culture and goodness with the boots of the aggressor should continue to do so without the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania.”
Drobiazko, a resident of Russia who secured her Lithuanian citizenship in 1993 owing to her representation of Lithuania in global events, has refuted these allegations. In a recent open letter, she clarified her intent, denying any alignment with Russian propaganda and reinforcing her commitment to “the light of culture and goodness”.
Pranas Žukauskas, the head of the Citizenship Commission, explained that the call to rescind Drobiazko’s citizenship was primarily due to her professional conduct, rather than any spoken or inferred beliefs.
President Nausėda commented on Drobiazko’s contributions, indicating his view that they seem incongruous considering the current global atmosphere.
“I think that today [Drobiazko’s] merits […] appear to be a sad parody in the light of what we saw and see today,” said Nausėda. “We have to choose sides as we cannot pretend that one thing exists without the other, especially when that culture, or the semblance of it, is created in a state that sheds innocent blood. We must be principled and adhere to the values we have held since the first days of the war in Ukraine, and we will adhere to them.”
Drobiazko’s citizenship status, exceptionally granted three decades ago, is now being re-examined in the context of a new law. This legislation permits the termination of citizenship from individuals with dual citizenship, especially if they voice support for nations considered adversarial to Lithuania and its allies.
Authorities in Lithuania highlight Drobiazko’s association with Tatyana Navka, who is notably connected to Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
