Trump focuses on peace, Europe on the pieces
Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor of war studies at King’s College London, has an acerbic description of the statecraft of US President Donald Trump: “Never assume you know what Donald Trump is going to do or say next because it is unlikely he does. Take seriously what he says at any time because that probably accurately reflects what he is thinking, but some of his thoughts can be very transitory and are soon replaced by others. If you don’t like the positions being held on one day, push back because he might be convinced to hold a different position the next. Equally, when satisfied with today’s position, do not assume it will last.”
Unsurprisingly, the representatives of Europe’s ruling elite who headed to the White House to meet with Trump on Monday counted that there was ...