Ukraine turns down German president’s request to visit Kyiv

BERLIN

Ukraine has turned down German President Frank Walter Steinmeier’s request to visit the capital Kyiv this week, further complicating relations between the two countries.

Steinmeier told reporters during a visit to Poland on Tuesday that in a show of solidarity with Ukraine, he wanted to visit Kyiv together with other European leaders.

“I was ready for this visit. But it seems that Kyiv doesn’t want it, and I must take note of this,” he told reporters.

Steinmeier said it was Polish President Andrzej Duda’s suggestion to visit Kyiv this week, together with the leaders of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, to demonstrate Europe’s strong solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.

German Bild daily reported earlier on Tuesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opposed Steinmeier’s visit due his policies in past years advocating closer ties between Germany and Russia.

The prominent Social Democrat politician served twice as foreign minister, in 2005-2009 and later in 2013-2016, in coalition governments led by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Germany has also been faulted by some for doing too little to help Ukraine even once the threat from Russia became clear.