Never before have so many world leaders gathered at such short notice for a meeting like this at the White House.
Truly, this is a moment as important as it is unusual. History does not provide us a guide here.
Never before have we seen so many world leaders gather at such short notice for a meeting like this at the White House, and with a president as consequential as he is unpredictable.
The speed with which it has been organised is remarkable. A diplomatic source has framed the hasty gathering as «organic»; the obvious next step after the Alaska summit, the source said.
The Europeans were not in the room for that. Today, they will dominate the room.
Is there a risk Donald Trump will feel encircled? I don’t think so. More likely, he will enjoy the moment, seeing himself as the great convener. And on that, he’d be right.
Whether his diplomatic process has been cack-handed or smart — and the debate there will rage on — there is no question he has created this moment of dialogue.
It was the unfolding, or unravelling, of another White House moment, back in February, which gives some key context for the day ahead.
That Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office meltdown was a reality check for European leaders.
We all watched Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, slam the Ukrainian leader. It was excruciating but it was also instructive because, beyond the shouting, positions and attitudes were made clear.
That February meeting provided everyone with a crystallising sense of precisely who they were dealing with.
