Farmers and Greens expel mayoral candidate for saying that Crimea is Russian

The Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) has distanced itself from the statements about Ukraine made by Robertas Kuncaitis, the party’s mayoral candidate in Šilutė district, which he made during Saturday’s mayoral debates before 5 March elections. The party expelled him soon after.

During the show Žinau ką renku (I Know Who I Elect), which was dedicated to Šilutė mayoral debates, Kuncaitis, a basketball coach, was asked whom does the Crimean peninsula belong to. He replied that “it was de facto Russia’s”. When the question was repeated, he refused to answer, adding “you know why”.