Steinmeier had planned to visit Kiev with the leaders of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in mid-April, but was soon denied a visit.
Steinmeier is a former German foreign minister, and accusations of his years of tolerant policies against Moscow have been louder since Russia’s repeated invasion of Ukraine.
In a telephone conversation, Steinmeier assured Zelenskek of “solidarity, respect and support for the brave fight of the Ukrainian people against the Russian aggressor”, and the two leaders described the conversation as very important and good, Steinmeier’s office said.
The office said that both Steinmeier and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had been invited to visit Kiev.
Scholz, to whom Zelensky blamed insufficient support for Ukraine, has repeatedly declined invitations from Kiev, saying his rejection of the German president has deterred him from going to Ukraine.
Friedrich Merch, leader of the opposition German Christian Democrats (CDU), visited Ukraine this week, becoming the first high-ranking German politician to visit Kiev since the start of the war.
German Foreign Minister Annalen Berbock, German Bundestag President Berbel Basa and other politicians have also announced their intention to go to Ukraine.
Basa will go to Ukraine in response to an invitation from his Ukrainian colleague Ruslan Stefanchuk to hold talks and commemorate the victims of World War II together, Basas’s press secretary said.
As President of the Bundestag in Germany, Basa holds the second highest position after President Frank-Steinmeier.
World War II commemoration events in Ukraine will take place on May 8.
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