The Ukrainian media should not keep quiet about mistakes made by the government, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration has said.
"I would not like journalists to curry favor with the authorities now - this would be bad for the authorities," Anna German said on Friday during a weekly political talk-show on Ukraine's Inter TV channel.
She also said it was very important for the government to pay attention to what the media says.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych earlier said he would not allow any restrictions on freedom of expression in the country. He has pledged to "do all we can" to prevent pressure on the media and threatened that all such cases would "have legal consequences."
The Ukrainian opposition, led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, accuses the authorities of infringing the freedom of expression and imposing media censorship.
A number of international organizations have urged Kiev not to compromise democratic freedoms in the country.
Earlier this week, Yanukovych called opposition protests, which are frequent in the former Soviet state, a display of democracy.
KIEV, May 29 (RIA Novosti)
