Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives Friday for a quiet working visit with President Biden, sparking speculation that they will discuss tough questions on how to end the war.
A post-Nazi aversion to war and a commitment to promoting peace through engagement combines with an old fixation on Russia and a deep aversion to leading militarily.
Ukraine has a narrow window of time to retake more territory ahead of an expected Russian spring offensive, but to do that it needs weapons like armored vehicles.
Inflation and anxiety over nuclear weapons may be eating into some popular support for the war, but key governments remain insulated from the pressures for now.