Ukrainian singer Svitlana Loboda, who is popular in Russia and planned a tour in Lithuania, will be added to Lithuania’s list of unwanted persons.
“After consulting our Ukrainian partners, we are adding the singer to the persona non grata list,” Paulina Levickytė, spokesperson for the Lithuanian foreign minister, told BNS.
According to Culture Minister Simonas Kairys, Loboda is a Ukrainian citizen and currently lives in Latvia, so she is not subject to existing restrictions on entry into Lithuania.
“Since we are talking about a private organiser, private spaces, the only solution is to consider adding such a person to the list of unwanted persons in Lithuania,” he said.
Loboda, one of the most popular pop singers in Russia, had planned four concerts in Lithuania’s cities of Vilnius, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, and Klaipėda in late November and early December.
The singer has been actively performing in Russia since Moscow’s occupation of Crimea. She also performed at an event celebrating the Soviet Union’s victory in World World Two in 2015.
After Russia invaded Ukraine, Loboda moved to Latvia, where she wanted to perform at a charity event in support of Kyiv. The organisers, however, barred her performance.
According to Kairys, the singer poses a risk, given her previous stance on Russia.
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