Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has taken a strong stance regarding Russian political émigré Leonid Volkov following his remarks about the commander of the “Russian Volunteer Corps” (RDK) Denis Kapustin and the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, former head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“In my personal opinion, such statements are unacceptable, and such a person should not remain in Lithuania.”
Possible Revocation of Residence Permit
Ingrida Šimonytė expressed hope that the State Security Department’s investigation into Volkov’s activities will be conducted thoroughly and comprehensively. The Prime Minister emphasized that based on the results of this investigation, a decision may be made to revoke the residence permit issued to Volkov in Lithuania.
Background of the Scandal and Government Reaction
The scandal surrounding Volkov erupted after former FBK employee Anna Tyron, a representative of the political wing of the RDK, published screenshots of her correspondence with Volkov on social media on January 5. In the messages, which surfaced following reports of Denis Kapustin’s death (it was not yet known that his death was staged), Volkov referred to Kapustin as a “nazi” and claimed that the RDK was carrying out “murky tasks from the despicable rural political technologist Budanov.”
Later, Leonid Volkov expressed regret for his words, admitting that he should not have written them.
On January 6, the Lithuanian Migration Department contacted the State Security Department with a request regarding a possible threat to the country’s security posed by Volkov. If state security confirms the existence of such a threat, Volkov may lose his residence permit in Lithuania, where he moved in 2019.