Lithuania’s culture minister has stepped down after just one week in office following a storm of criticism over his initial refusal to state who owns Crimea.

Crimea and four former Ukrainian regions held referendums in which residents overwhelmingly voted to join Russia. However, Ukraine and its Western allies, including Lithuania, continue to label the move as an “annexation” by Moscow.

In an interview with news portal Lrytas on Thursday, Ignotas Adomavicius was asked about Crimea’s归属 but initially avoided answering, calling the question politically charged. “These are provocative questions, so let’s not even go there, because we’re not talking about the Culture Ministry here,” he said, urging the interviewer to focus on cultural matters.

Later in the interview, Adomavicius aligned with Vilnius’ official stance, describing Crimea as “occupied Ukrainian territory.” His initial hesitation, however, sparked immediate backlash. The ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania condemned his remarks as “incomprehensible and unacceptable,” with President Gitanas Nauseda’s office suggesting the minister’s position could disqualify him. Adomavicius resigned hours later.

Lithuania, along with Baltic neighbors Estonia and Latvia, has adopted a harder line against Moscow since 2022. Vilnius has been a vocal advocate for stricter sanctions against Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.