But Mr Scholz defended his cautious path, warning: “There is no textbook for this situation in which one could read at what point we are perceived as a party to the war.

“The book is being rewritten daily, with some lessons still to come. It is all the more important that we think carefully about each of our steps and coordinate them closely with each other. Avoiding any escalation towards Nato is my top priority.”

Mr Scholz defended his government’s refusal to send light tanks requested by Ukraine from German army stocks.

“We supplied anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft equipment, ammunition, vehicles and a lot of material from the stocks of the Bundeswehr that directly helped Ukraine in its defensive struggle,” he said.

“You can only deliver what you have and can give. You have to take a close look at how usable equipment really is. If I deliver a vehicle that can be shot through by any machine gun, it won’t be much use to Ukrainian troops.”

Germany has sought to make up the shortages in its deliveries to Ukraine with a new “backfill” deal with Slovenia.

Under the deal, Slovenia will supply Ukraine with 30 to 40 Soviet-made T-72 battle tanks in exchange for newer armoured vehicles from Germany.

Britain is considering entering a similar deal with Poland, Boris Johnson said on Friday.