LONDON

Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas received the Walther Rathenau Award on Tuesday, which is named after a former foreign minister of Germany.

The award was presented to Kallas by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at a ceremony in Berlin.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kaja said it is an important recognition "not only to me, but also to Estonia."

"Most importantly, however, I want to devote this prize to you, Ukrainian friends. This is our joint struggle for freedom – except that you are the only ones fighting on the battlefield, paying with your lives," she said.

“If aggression is stopped by Ukrainians, then no one else has to fight.”

"To help Ukraine win, we need to be very creative and quick – and continue convincing our partners to do the same," she added.

The annual award is given in recognition of an outstanding lifetime achievement in foreign policy.