German FM heads back to Ukraine amid border tensions

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock travelled to Ukraine on Monday, her second visit to the country in three weeks, as part of efforts to mediate in the conflict with Russia.

Her visit comes on the same day as Chancellor Olaf Scholz's inaugural trip to Washington, sparking a days-long diplomatic offensive by Germany to de-escalate tensions between the West and Moscow.

"This is about nothing less than peace in Europe. Fighting for this with all our strength and determination must be worth every effort," Baerbock said in a statement before departing.

She reiterated Germany's commitment to Ukraine as an ally of the European Union and NATO.

"Together, we will respond with tough, very concrete measures to any further Russian aggression towards Ukraine," Germany's top diplomat said.

Baerbock is scheduled to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kiev. She last met with them on January 17.

The focus will be on her response to Ukraine's requests for arms deliveries, which the German government has so far refused.

Prior to the talks, Baerbock intends to visit the Holodomor memorial in Kiev. It commemorates the victims of the great famine of 1932 and 1933 in which several million people died.

In the evening, she plans to visit a military hospital in the Ukrainian capital that is largely financed by Germany.

Afterwards, Baerbock will travel to eastern Ukraine, where a visit to the front line is planned for Tuesday.

Armed conflict between Ukraine and the pro-Russian separatists broke out in 2014, but has since turned into a stalemate with regular eruptions of shelling and skirmishes in the region of Donbas.