BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany is not a prisoner of Russian policy, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, reacting to U.S. President Donald Trump’s accusation that Germany is “totally controlled” by Moscow.

“We have a lot of issues with Russia without any doubt,” von der Leyen told a side event at the NATO summit, moments after Trump spoke at meeting in central Brussels.

“On the other hand, you should keep the communication line between countries or alliances and opponents without any question,” she said when asked about Trump’s accusation, speaking in English.