Germany has said it will not stand in the way of a war with Iraq but insisted yesterday that the "vast majority" of Security Council members shared its view that weapons inspectors must be given a chance to do their work.
Berlin has also made clear that it will supply Turkey with military equipment to defend itself in a war situation when it believes the time is right.
"An understanding can still be reached about the means [of decommissioning in Iraq]. The use of military force cannot be ruled out as ultima ratio (final means)," a government spokesman said. He added, however, that Germany would not participate in any military action.
"We still believe that the possibilities afforded by Resolution 1441 are not yet exhausted. That means there is no reason to talk about a second resolution," the spokesman said.
Chancellor Schröder said last month that Germany would in no circumstances vote for a second UN resolution that "legitimised" war with Iraq.
The German leader told his parliamentary party on Monday evening that Europe faced a "historic decision" on Iraq that would decide whether, in the future, world affairs were dictated by one superpower.
He was expected to repeat that position in talks in Lanzarote yesterday with the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr José Maria Aznar.
The two leaders are at opposite ends of the European spectrum on Iraq: Mr Aznar was a driving force behind the letter signed by eight European leaders supporting the US.
Mr Schröder issued a joint statement with the French and Russian leaders this week calling for the weapons inspectors to be given more time to comply.
Berlin was at pains yesterday to say it didn't feel in any way isolated on the issue of Iraq.
In a newspaper interview, Mr Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, said: "When I listen around in the UN, there are many who regard a military strike with great scepticism." He called for a wait-and-see approach on Iraq until after the UN inspectors present their latest report on Friday.
"Then we will see how we can best help on and support the inspectors," he said.
Berlin clarified its position yesterday in the current standoff within NATO about helping Turkey defend itself in the case of war in Iraq. The German government has given assurances to Ankara and Washington that it will show solidarity if Turkey becomes a target of Saddam Hussein.
"But this \ is about signalling that NATO stands behind a military engagement that we, at the moment, just do not believe is justified," the government spokesman said.
"We are, however, of the opinion that \ weapons inspector's report could lead us into a new situation." Berlin has denied the existence of a secret Franco-German plan to send UN peacekeeping forces into Iraq but has admitted formulating loose concepts.
A government spokesman spoke yesterday of the need to stop the smuggling of oil and possible weapons parts in and out of Iraq. He also said it was necessary to improve the efficiency of weapons inspectors by establishing a permanent base in Baghdad.
Germany's opposition conservatives have reacted with outrage to the government's current position on Iraq and the current NATO disagreement.
Mr Edmund Stoiber, the prime minister of Bavaria, said the government was "taking the axe" to NATO and the roots of US-German relations.
The parliamentary leader of Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU), Mr Michael Glos, said Mr Schröder was mimicking the disastrous politics of Kaiser Wilhelm II which had lead to the first World War.