BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The differences of opinion on the issue of supplying German battle tanks to Ukraine are growing into a public coalition spat. After FDP defense expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann publicly attacked Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the dispute over the battle tanks, SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur: "You don't make a policy in times of war in Europe in the style of indignation rituals or with gasps, but with clarity and reason."

The chairman of the Europe Committee in the Bundestag, Anton Hofreiter (Greens) told the newspapers of the Funke-Mediengruppe (Monday): "Of course, it's not just about Leopard 2, but this is a crucial support that Germany can offer." He added that training of Ukrainian soldiers on the Leopard must begin "now immediately" to avoid further delays.

At the Ukraine conference in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany had not yet decided on Friday to supply battle tanks to the war zone, despite considerable pressure from its allies. The red-green-yellow federal government also did not yet issue a delivery permit to other countries for the German-made tanks.

Hofreiter said: "Germany made a major mistake at Ramstein and lost further prestige as a result. This must now be corrected quickly."

However, U.S. President Joe Biden is similarly hesitant as Scholz on the issue of battle tanks. While the Americans have no objection in principle to the delivery of main battle tanks, they do not consider the provision of their own M1 Abrams to be sensible for practical reasons. The U.S. tanks would first have to be transported across the Atlantic, maintenance would be more costly, and they would consume too much fuel. For this reason, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced in Ramstein that no battle tanks would be delivered.

In the debate on arms deliveries, Scholz repeatedly emphasized that Germany would not go it alone, but would always coordinate closely with its partners on important steps - especially with the United States and France.

Strack-Zimmermann, who is chairwoman of the defense committee in the Bundestag, described Mützenich on Twitter as "the symbol of all the central failures of German foreign policy." She wrote: "His views of yesterday lead to the problems of tomorrow. He is no longer able to adapt his world view to reality."

On Friday, Strack-Zimmermann had attacked the chancellor on ZDF's "heute journal," which in turn triggered a strong reaction from Mützenich. "Ms. Strack-Zimmermann and others are talking us into a military confrontation. The same people who call for going it alone with heavy battle tanks today will be clamoring for aircraft or troops tomorrow," Mützenich told the German Press Agency. "You don't make a policy in times of war in Europe in the style of indignation rituals or with gasps, but with clarity and reason."

Strack-Zimmermann had called Scholz's communication, in particular, on the issue of battle tank deliveries to Ukraine a "catastrophe," saying that on the one hand Germany was providing massive support to Ukraine, but the lack of a decision on battle tanks was creating a different impression. She told Tagesschau24 on Saturday, "If you don't want to deliver Leopard 2, then it must be explained why. Then it must be explained to Ukraine why."

Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens) also expressed disappointment. "I would have liked to see the German government clear the way for the delivery of Leopard tanks as early as this week," she told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers over the weekend. "These are urgently needed in Ukraine. Ukraine is not only defending its own country, but also our freedom."

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) told Bild am Sonntag when asked when the decision on Leopard tanks for Ukraine would be made: "We are in very close dialogue with our international partners, first and foremost with the United States, on this issue." He said that in order to be best prepared for possible decisions, he instructed his House on Friday to "check everything to the extent that we don't lose time unnecessarily if the worst comes to the worst." He also announced in the interview that he would travel to Ukraine as soon as possible, "probably even within the next four weeks."

Pistorius had taken office on Thursday after Christine Lambrecht resigned as head of department./hrz/DP/jha