Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas continues to reject accusations that he published classified information after a State Defence Council meeting. He admits, however, that what his Facebook post about purchasing German tanks could have looked like classified.
“I have not published any classified information,” the minister told reporters on Wednesday at the parliament after a meeting of the Committee on National Security and Defence (NSGK).
Meanwhile, in an interview with Delfi.lt on Tuesday, President Gitanas Nausėda said the information disclosed by Anušauskas about the government’s plans to buy German Leopard tanks was of “restricted use” and was not properly declassified.
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Anušauskas refrained from commenting on the president’s remarks on Wednesday.
“I have not commented, do not comment and will not comment on the president’s statements,” he said.
For his part, MP Laurynas Kasčiūnas, who chairs the NSGK, said that he agreed with the president that the published information had a restricted use tag.
“I have to confirm what the president of our republic said,” he said.
The president also said Anušauskas probably disclosed too much information.
“I agree,” the minister himself told reporters. “But it’s a solvable matter in this case.”
The defence minister found himself in hot water after the State Defence Council meeting last week when he posted on social media that Lithuania was planning to purchase German tanks.
He was first criticised by a number of MPs for a lack of transparency, and then was also criticised by the president. The latter said the minister was publishing too much information.
On Wednesday, Anušauskas proposed informing the NSGK in advance about the issues to be discussed by the State Defence Council in order to avoid misunderstandings.
“I proposed to the committee chairman that before the next State Defence Council, when similar decisions are to be made, we will first inform the committee members about what is to be discussed and what decisions are to be made,” the minister said.
“Maybe it will be simpler and we will avoid the finger-pointing as to who should have found out earlier, who found out later, and who found out too late and so on. Maybe this way will be more rational,” he added.
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