German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has criticized the words of U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance regarding democracy in Europe.

"I cannot help but comment on the speech we heard from the U.S. Vice President... The democracy that the U.S. Vice President has just called into question, and not only German democracy, but also Europe as a whole. He spoke about the annulment of democracy, and if I understood him correctly, he compares the state of Europe with the state that reigns in some authoritarian regimes. This is unacceptable," he said during his speech at the 61st Munich Security Conference.

Pistorius said "in our democracy, every opinion has a voice, including some extremist parties like the AFD, and they can campaign like any other party."

"That's why I would like to directly counter what Vice President Vance said here: that our democracies suppress minorities and silence them. We not only know who we are protecting our countries from, but also why we are protecting them. For democracy, freedom of opinion, the rule of law and the dignity of everyone," the minister said.

Earlier, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance questioned democracy and freedom of speech in Europe. He said that this is much more worrisome than external threats, including from Russia or China.