“The situation has fundamentally changed. We have been waiting for a long time for confirmation of Allison Reed’s merits to Lithuania. We have received these confirmations. I watched the championships outside the arena, on TV. I also saw the amazing performance of our pair,” Nausėda told Kauno diena news website in an interview.
The decision on granting citizenship to Reed will be taken in the near future, he added.
Nausėda stated he views decision-making on citizenship as a very responsible task.
“I am probably one of the most reserved presidents. I have only given citizenship on a few special occasions. Each time, I make a very thorough assessment of the person’s merits, his or her commitment to Lithuania,” said Nausėda, highlighting the importance of learning from mistakes in the past.
“Citizenship was handed out left and right, as if it were some bagels, for some kind of merit, not to the state, but to concrete individuals,” he said.
On February 9, American figure skater Allison Reed applied for Lithuanian citizenship by exception for the third time. The move comes after Reed and her Lithuanian dance partner Saulius Ambrulevičius won bronze at the 2024 European Figure Skating Championship in Kaunas this January.
Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas were the last Lithuanian figure skating pair to have won bronze in 2006.