German Family Minister Karin Prien arrived in Kyiv on Monday after an overnight train journey from Poland, travelling to the Ukrainian capital shortly after Chancellor Friedrich Merz completed his own visit. Prien said the trip was calm but admitted that travelling to a country at war felt "quite distressing," especially in light of Russian warnings to step up attacks on civilians, diplomats and foreign visitors.
"But it is important, especially in this situation, not to shrink back, not to show fear, but to be very clear," Prien said, adding that Germany stands "firmly by Ukraine." Her visit was intended to demonstrate Berlin's support "across the full spectrum." Meetings with Ukrainian government ministers were on the agenda, with a particular focus on the needs of children, young people and civil society.
Focus on Children and Civil Society
Prien used the visit to highlight humanitarian and social concerns: the plight of displaced children, the challenges facing youth services, and the resilience of civil society organisations working under wartime conditions. She stressed the importance of sustained international backing for education, child protection and community rebuilding efforts.
Commemoration at Babyn Yar
As part of her programme, Prien took part in a ceremony to commemorate victims of Nazi persecution. She laid a Stolperstein, or "stumbling stone"—a small brass memorial block embedded in the pavement—in memory of historian Ilya Galant, who had written about Jewish life in Ukraine and was murdered during the Babyn Yar massacre in September 1941, when nearly 33,800 people were killed.
"Whoever attacks Jewish life attacks our society, attacks us," Prien said, warning of a rising wave of anti-Semitism in Europe and beyond. She drew a direct line between past atrocities and current threats, saying the struggle against fascism and antisemitism remains painfully relevant today.
Despite ongoing Russian attacks and the many hardships facing Ukraine, Prien noted that Ukrainians continue to remember their past and honour the victims of the Holocaust. She warned that modern political shifts — including the rise of right-wing populists and extremists in some countries — have renewed the need for vigilance against hatred and exclusion.
Chancellor Merz had visited Kyiv over the preceding weekend; their journeys did not overlap in timing. Prien's visit reinforced a message of steady diplomatic and humanitarian support from Germany at a sensitive moment for Ukraine.
