Steinmeier had been planning to make a joint visit to Ukraine with Polish President Andrzej Duda and their Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian counterparts "a strong signal of joint European solidarity with Ukraine."
But "that apparently wasn't wanted in Kyiv" Steinmeier said while visiting the Polish capital Warsaw.
Ukraine has previously been highly critical of the German president over his connections with Russia and the leading role he played as former foreign minister in improving relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainekrieg: Selenskyj will Steinmeier nicht empfangen »