<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made a surprise visit to Kyiv Monday, promising unwavering support for Ukraine and praising its progress on the path towards EU membership.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"With enormous courage and determination, Ukraine is also defending the freedom of all of us," Baerbock said in a statement released by the foreign ministry upon her arrival.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And Ukraine can "count on us" in return, Baerbock added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We will not let up in our efforts to support Ukraine in its defence against Russia's aggression: economically, militarily, and in the humanitarian" sphere, Baerbock said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was Baerbock's fourth visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion in February 2022.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukraine's bid for European Union membership is expected to be among the topics of discussion with Ukrainian officials during this trip.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukraine received EU candidacy status a year ago and is hoping to begin formal negotiations this year on what it needs to do to firm up its membership bid.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Baerbock said Ukraine had already made "good progress" in some areas including judicial reforms, but said it still had "some way to go" in tackling corruption.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She reaffirmed Germany's "resolute support for Ukraine on its way into the European Union".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"And we as the EU must now work quickly to ensure we are properly positioned for more chairs at the table," she added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the statement, Baerbock also voiced dismay at the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russian President Vladimir Putin "will stop at nothing" to break the Ukrainian people, she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We support the organisations, Ukrainian authorities and NGOs who are working to bring the abducted children back home," Baerbock said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Nothing justifies waging this war on the backs of the most innocent, the children," she said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The very first step towards peace is for Putin to let these children go back home." AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>