Having an account on a Russian social network is a “slippery” fact and could be a reason for denying Deputy Finance Minister Valentin Gavrilov a security clearance, says Lithuania’s intelligence chief.
Gavrilov has come under renewed scrutiny after LRT RADIO reported that he had an account on the Russian social platform VKontakte, where he shared a playlist “glorifying” the Soviet Union.
Darius Jauniškis, director of Lithuania’s intelligence agency, the State Security Department (VSD), has described these facts about Gavrilov as “slippery” and said they would be examined by specialists before deciding whether to recommend granting him access to classified information.
“Of course, these things are rather slippery, so we’ll evaluate them comprehensively,” he said on the radio Žinių Radijas on Tuesday.
Jauniškis confirmed that Gavrilov submitted a request on January 22 to the VSD for clearance to work with classified information.
The request will be reviewed and a recommendation on whether to grant clearance will be made within 40 days, Jauniškis said.
He declined to comment on whether these facts alone would disqualify Gavrilov from accessing classified information.
The report about Gavrilov’s account on VKontakte sparked accusations that he might be disloyal to the Lithuanian state. Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has commented that while he had confidence in Gavrilov, the VSD may look into “whether or not the vice-minister poses a threat to national security”.
Gavrilov himself, who is a member of Lithuania’s Russian-speaking community, has told LNK News that he had created the account a decade ago but stopped using it following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Previously, Gavrilov received scrutiny for sharing images from the May 9 Victory Day commemoration in Vilnius on his Facebook account. He has also supported calls to stop the blockade of the Astravyets nuclear power plant in Belarus and not to increase military spending.
Following a public outcry, however, the vice-minister said he had decided to commemorate the end of World War Two on May 8.
At the Finance Ministry, the vice-minister is in charge of financial policy, EU affairs and international relations.
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Gavrilov: ‘I don’t think I can be a tool’ of Russia
On Tuesday, Gavrilov was questioned by the opposition Liberal Movement group in the parliament. He does not believe he could be a tool for hostile governments, the deputy minister insisted.
“I don’t think I can be a tool or influenced in any way. My entire life, my history, and my work here in Lithuania allow me to be sensible and resist any potential pressure from hostile forces,” he told the liberal MPs.
“I don’t listen to any songs now, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t a bit naïve some time ago, and I openly admit that,” the vice-minister told the Liberal MPs regarding the playlist he posted thar allegedly glorified the Soviet Union.
Gavrilov later told journalists that he created the VKontakte account in 2016 to organise a 20th-anniversary reunion of his classmates, adding that he had not actively used VKontakte since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, or possibly even earlier.
“My post about May 9 and my playlist were long before the start of the war in Ukraine,” he said.
Asked if he plans to step down as vice minister, Gavrilov said that would depend on his ability to perform his duties effectively at the Finance Ministry.
“I have time to devote to answering reasonable questions: either the situation will be clarified or some other decision will be taken,” he said.
Commenting on his posts celebrating the May 9 Victory Day, he said the date was important for the Russian-speaking community.
“I’ve never celebrated any dates that harm Lithuania. Yes, the date of the end of World War Two is significant for Lithuania’s Russians, for Russian-speaking people in Lithuania. Some people still associate it with May 9 out of tradition, out of respect for their grandparents and parents, and it has nothing to do with any hostility towards Lithuania or support for the current Russian government,” Gavrilov said.
“I’ve never promoted or publicly shared any songs glorifying the Soviet Union. I never did that,” he said.
Gavrilov also said that from 2014 to 2016, he already had clearance to work with restricted information while serving as deputy health minister.
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