EU's Kallas Defends Liberties, Suggests Criticism for Russia

BRUSSELS, ‌Dec 9 (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy ‍chief ‌Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday that criticism of ⁠liberties in ‌the bloc should be aimed elsewhere and at "Russia perhaps", referring to a White House strategy ⁠document critical of EU policies.

"The European Union is the ​very essence of freedom," Kallas ‌said, addressing a ⁠European Parliament committee.

"Criticism regarding the liberties here should be aimed at different direction. ​Russia perhaps, where dissent is banned, where free media is banned, where political opposition is banned, where X or Twitter, ​as ‍we know it, ​is, in fact, also banned" she said, also referring to criticism from U.S. officials after EU tech regulators imposed a fine on social platform X last ⁠week.

Asked about American criticism, Kallas said that "it seems to me ​it is made to be a provocation".

Kallas also reiterated that the United States remains Europe's biggest ally.

(Reporting by ‌Lili Bayer and Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Hugh Lawson)