In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce Lithuanian far-right politician and Seimas member Remigijus Žemaitaitis. He’s best known for his extremist political views and for falling for a scam that convinced him he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk.
1/17
Like many vatniks before him, Remigijus worked as a lawyer before entering the world of politics. Once just another politician, he gradually embraced far-right nationalism and populism, following a trend seen across Europe over the past 15 years.
2/17
Instead of real policies, he tapped into fear, resentment, and anger, turning 4chan talking points into a populist political strategy. His speeches became more extreme, targeting minorities, Western institutions, and Lithuania’s support for Ukraine.
3/17
In Nov 2023, Žemaitaitis launched Nemuno Aušra, a nationalist-populist party. The think tank Eastern Europe Studies Centre described them as follows: “It’s very hard to describe what kind of ideology they represent and where they stand on the scale of left to right.”
4/17
Žemaitaitis’s pro-Russian stance is obvious. He undermined the aid to Ukraine by claiming it to be fully corrupt. In 2018, during an interview with Ekspress Nedelya, he opposed what he called “anti-Russian sanctions.”
5/17
In Jan 2025, he falsely claimed that President Nausėda planned to “steal” citizens’ bank deposits to fund defense. This disinformation was meant to undermine support for increased defense spending, even under the very real threat of Russian invasion.
6/17
Despite his extremist views, Žemaitaitis’s party gained power in 2024. After elections, Lithuania’s Social Democrats formed a coalition with Nemuno Aušra, handing them control of three ministries, including Justice. The coalition was a disaster.
7/17
Once in government, Remigijus attacked everyone. Since Nov 2024, he's been undermining opposition and coalition partners alike, even criticizing the president. He’s currently under investigation for defamation and inciting ethnic hatred.
8/17
Remi is known for his blatant antisemitism. In June 2023, he absurdly claimed that Jews oppressed ethnic Lithuanians during WWII and argued that Lithuanians suffered a “greater Holocaust than Jews.”
9/17
This sparked major backlash. Lithuania’s Constitutional Court ruled that he had violated the Constitution. Facing impeachment, he resigned, playing the victim, as extremists often do when held accountable. He’s also quoted a well-known Lithuanian rhyme about murdering Jews.
10/17
But the funniest thing about Remigijus? He recently got scammed into thinking he was flying to New York to meet Elon Musk. It started with an email from a very legitimate-sounding address: forryan.riedel@yahoo.com.
11/17
The sender, claiming to be “DOGE’s Chief Information Officer,” said Žemaitaitis’s posts about USAID had caught their attention. In return for sharing info, they offered him a business-class trip to NYC, a stay at the Baccarat hotel, and a meeting with Musk.
12/17
In exchange, he was asked to praise Trump and Musk on social media and consider acting as a liaison with the Russian embassy. He declined the embassy request but eagerly trashed Lithuanian leaders and even picked The Great Gatsby as the musical he wanted to see.
13/17
When asked if he needed Parliament’s approval for the trip (he absolutely did), Žemaitaitis said it wasn’t necessary. So off he went to Vilnius Airport, ready for his big trip to New York.
14/17
But to Remi’s disappointment, Turkish Airlines staff informed him the tickets were fake. To make matters worse, the anonymous scammer had tipped off Laisvės TV, who filmed the entire humiliating moment and published all the emails.
15/17
Beyond embarrassment, Žemaitaitis now faces impeachment and possible bribery charges for accepting the (fake) trip without declaring it. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison. And he won’t even get to see The Great Gatsby!
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To conclude, Žemaitaitis is a typical European far-right populist: offering simplistic solutions to complex problems while exploiting fear and resentment. As the DOGE scam shows, he’s also extremely gullible.
17/17
The 2nd edition of “Vatnik Soup — The Ultimate Guide to Russian Disinformation” is officially out!
You can order your copy here:
kleart.eu/webshop/p/vatn…
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