Health Minister Marija Jakubauskienė said on Tuesday she planned to send her new deputy, Arnomedas Galdikas, to work in Ukraine following public backlash over his comments about Crimea.
The politician faced criticism after failing to clearly state that Crimea belongs to Ukraine in an LRT interview. In Lithuania, the question is frequently used as a litmus test for a person's stance on Russian aggression.
"We will send our vice-minister to work in Ukraine," Jakubauskienė told reporters on Wednesday. "I already told him yesterday that he will have to go."
The minister said the decision was made following a discussion with Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė.
In the interview, Galdikas said: “I don’t know who Crimea belongs to, what is the purpose of this question?” When pushed, he answered: “Alright then, to Ukraine.”
Jakubauskienė did not specify when Galdikas would depart or what his specific duties in Ukraine would entail.
Galdikas took office on March 16, having been delegated to the position by the Nemunas Dawn populist party, a member of the ruling coalition.
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