According to Asta Skaisgiryte, the president's chief foreign policy adviser, politicians are responsible for Lithuania's failure to halt Belarusian potash transit through the country after US sanctions against Belaruskali came into force on December 8.
"The company's CEO, who says he coordinated his actions with the government, should not become a scapegoat, because this is not a responsibility, but an imitation of it," she told LRT Radio.
The state railway company's management board announced earlier this week that Bartuska would step down after a "transition period" in order to de-escalate the situation.
Transport Minister Marius Skuodis and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis last week handed in their resignation letters.
However, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said in a statement on Tuesday that she would not accept their resignations, because that would not help stop Belaruskali product shipments and because the ministers "had to act with incomplete information".
However, Skaisgiryte told LRT Radio that the issue of whether the ministers can keep their jobs "is definitely not closed".
"It would not be fair for politicians to hide behind the backs of the heads of state-owned companies," Skaisgiryte said.
"The policy of sanctions is being pursued by the state. This is the key point and if companies are asking about sanctions, [the government] must tell them honestly how to behave. Only such coordinated action will give answers," she added.
Belaruskali continues to export its fertilizers via Lithuania despite the US sanctions because the Belarusian company made an advance payment to LTG, sufficient to cover the cost of rail services for several months.
The government announced after the sanctions had already taken effect that it was seeking to terminate the state railway company's contract with Belaruskali, even though it said the US sanctions do not directly apply to the transit of fertilizers through Lithuania.