Ben Cardin, chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, wrote a statement that was published by the Senate committee’s website on Friday.

“Lithuania is a close ally of the United States and a vital partner in promoting democratic values. However, the Social Democrats’ decision to enter a coalition with the Nemunas Party – a party whose leader has been indicted for inciting violence and hatred against Jews – undermines the core values that unite our nations,” he said.

“At a time when antisemitism is on the rise around the world, giving a platform to antisemitic rhetoric and acts of hate is not just a betrayal of shared democratic ideals, but a physical threat to the safety of Jewish and minority communities,” he added.

Nemunas Dawn Party founder and leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis resigned from parliament in April after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had broken his oath by stirring up hatred against Jews in social media last year.

The politician in September went on trial over the social media posts, charged with inciting antisemitic hatred and playing down the Holocaust. He has said that the posts were not antisemitic and denies any wrongdoing.

The leader of the Social Democrats, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, had initially said before the October elections that her party wasn’t going to govern in a coalition with Nemunas Dawn because of the accusations of anti-Semitism.

The Social Democrats are also in talks with the For Lithuania Party, which holds 12 seats in the new parliament.