British diplomats fear impulsive US president will make Russia a personal offer and leave Europe in the lurch
“People say Donald Trump’s strength is that he thinks outside the box. But that is not right. He does not even know what the box is.” The remark by a senior British politician with decades of experience dealing with US presidents reflects a nervousness not just about the random unpredictability of the incumbent of the Oval Office, but also the chasm between Trump’s apparent lack of interest in the ties that bind the transatlantic alliance and the precious regard with which they are still held in London.
That British nervousness becomes more acute in the face of a daunting Trump triptych next month: a Nato summit on 11-12 July, a Chequers bilateral with Theresa May on 13-14 July, and, rounding off his trip to Europe, a summit with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on 16 July.
Related: Trump prefers strongmen. But democracy is not weakness | Jonathan Freedland
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