Julia Klöckner, President of the Bundestag, has defended German aid for Ukraine. The money secures Germany's freedom and at the same time strengthens the lead of the domestic defence industry, she said. Even so, she accepted criticism of the aid as legitimate: that was the critics' right.

At the presentation of the Werner Holzer Prize in Frankfurt, Klöckner stressed the importance of independent reporting from Ukraine and Russia for political decisions in Germany. She called for more trustworthy journalism and said that Russia was waging war on the free press. The journalist Katja Gloger used her acceptance speech to draw attention to the situation of journalists in Russia.

Michel Friedman, chairman of the Werner Holzer Institute, took a markedly sharper line in his speech. Anyone who recommends no longer supporting Ukraine becomes a fellow thinker of Putin's, he said.

Key points:

• Julia Klöckner defended the planned aid for Ukraine's defence.
• At the same time, Klöckner defended criticism as legitimate.
• Klöckner said that this money for Ukraine secures Germany's freedom and its lead in the defence industry.

Source: Kreisbote (German)