Keir Starmer enjoyed another chance to play the global statesman this week as he hosted the latest meeting of his “coalition of the willing”. French President Emmanuel Macron, in the UK for a state visit, took part in person while other world leaders dialled in to a conference call.
They discussed plans to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine, if and when the Russian invasion ends. But the truth is that the summit, more than four months after Sir Keir first convened his “coalition” in early March, illustrated the irrelevance of the British Prime Minister and fellow leaders across Europe,
Because the one person who really mattered was missing. US President Donald Trump was busy doing other things, and sent an envoy instead. Without his blessing, and the active support of the US military, the coalition can do nothing but talk. Mr Macron had been a guest of the king, who treated him to a glitzy state banquet at Windsor Castle attended by Sir Mick Jagger among others. Mr Trump, however, due to make his own state visit later this year, is the nearest we have ever seen to a king of the world.
The American President is re-shaping the globe to suit him, and his vision of America. And he’s proved his doubters wrong.
To be fair, doubting the US President was easy. Stock markets crashed when Mr Trump announced swingeing global tariffs on April 2. It wasn’t just billionaires that suffered, as ordinary Americans with pension funds saw the value of their savings plummet.
He’d spoken about tariffs before, and announced a few specific charges, but this was when the world, and the markets, realised how serious he was.
The President was forced to backtrack and announced a “pause” in the policy a week later.
If his trade policy appeared counter-productive, his approach to foreign policy was no less bizarre.
The US President once said he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours” (he now claims this was a joke). But his approach was to invite Ukraine’s President Zelensky, leading the defence of his nation, to the White House to berate and humiliate him.
At the same time, Mr Trump appeared to make excuses for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, whose invasion created the conflict. How could this possibly end the war – unless, as some began to whisper, the President actually wanted Russia’s invasion to succeed?
The US had been an ally of Ukraine under former President Joe Biden. And of course, America was meant to be an ally of the UK and EU, which saw Russian aggression as a direct threat to their own security.
Under Donald Trump’s leadership, however, the US began to look like an unreliable partner. For some European leaders, this was the opportunity they had been waiting for to consign the trans-Atlantic alliance to history.
How different things look now, just a few months later.
US shares have recovered – and the S&P 500 Index hit a record high on June 30. The Dow Jones is up 13% over 12 months.
Nations across the world are clamouring to sign trade deals with the US, just as Donald Trump said they would. The UK led the way, refusing to rise to Mr Trump’s bait and instead launching a charm offensive designed to win a trade agreement. A deal has also been reached with China, the world’s second largest economy, while the EU and Japan are among countries working frantically to follow Britain’s example and obtain an agreement of their own.
Meanwhile, America’s NATO allies have seen the light and given in to Mr Trump’s demands that they ramp up defence spending. They agreed on June 25 to spend 5% of economic output by 2035 – something previous US presidents, who also believed the US was shouldering too much of Europe’s defence burden, failed to achieve.
The US President has so far failed to end the war in Ukraine. But he has nonetheless been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize – twice.
The first nomination is coming from Israel after President Trump managed to bring the conflict between with Iran to an end, following a demonstration of America’s military might with a devastating strike on Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities.
The President is also trying to resolve the war in Gaza (and while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lavishes praise on Mr Trump at every opportunity, the President has shown no qualms about criticising and putting pressure on Israel).
In addition, Pakistan has said it will recommend President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work helping to resolve a conflict with India.
The President’s claim to be a peacemaker was strengthened further when he brokered a deal which appears to have ended decades of fighting between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
President Macron’s trip to the UK this week was the first state visit by a French President since Brexit. There’s little reason to believe it will result in an end to cross-Channel departures from France, a key concern for both the UK and the French, but it was nonetheless a triumph in many ways
The two world leaders strengthened their relationship and pledged to continue the military alliance between their countries, which is vital to the defence of the whole of Europe.
Even so, Mr Macron’s stay will pale into insignificance when compared to the forthcoming state visit by US President Donald J Trump, the man who calls the shots.
The eyes of the entire world will be on the UK when President Trump arrives. He is more powerful than he’s ever been. And his plan to make America great again is working when so many expected it to fail.
When President Trump is greeted by Charles III, it will be a meeting of two monarchs – one the official king of the United Kingdom, the other the de facto king of the entire planet.
