Germany's Scholz says he’s not planning to visit Ukraine after President Steinmeier was told he was ‘not wanted’ in Kyiv

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"This stands in the way," Scholz said in an interview Monday with German public broadcaster ZDF.

"This cannot be done."

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on April 12 while on a visit to Warsaw that he had planned to visit Ukraine, but that the trip was "not wanted" by Kyiv.

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At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that neither the president of Germany nor his office had officially contacted Kyiv regarding a visit to Ukraine.

On April 12, German newspaper Bild reported that President Zelensky had allegedly refused to meet with Steinmeier in Kyiv due to the latter's close ties with Russia.

Later Steinmeier said that he was ready to come to Kyiv with colleagues from Poland and the Baltic states, but that the trip was "not wanted" by Kyiv.

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In turn, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk said that Ukraine's leadership was looking forward to the visit by Chancellor Scholz.

The next day, Scholz said that he was not yet planning a visit to Ukraine, and that the refusal to receive Steinmeier in Kyiv had "embarrassed" the German government.

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