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Your guide to what the second period of Trump means to Washington, business and the world

It is not one of the best Robert Redford films. in Whisper HorseR, the Dreambat boat convinced aging an animal with a return to work through some mysterious personal relationship. This piece of fluff in the middle of the budget inspired a new phrase in political discourse-to be the “whisper” for someone to have an unusual effect with them-but for years it was understood to be a paradox. It is now used in all seriousness. Georgia Meloni, who is following Donald Trump without any noticeable benefit to it, Italy or Ukraine, is the latest Western leader who is credited with a unique comment on him.

Can we stop doing this? Trump should be judged in the results record. This record does not exist almost. Emmanuel Macron was one of the first to cultivate the American president. Quickly to realize his desire for Trump on the almost monochinan, he even hosted him in the 2017 Pastel procession. For the quality of this matter with the French leader, he thought about him Proposal This month, freezing on European investments in America.

As for Britain, the Teresa May was one of many prime ministers who abandoned themselves (and he is free to do) and their nation (who are just a secretary) of an American trade agreement. This deal is still fulfilled with a loom on the horizon in Brexit Decennial next year. Boris Johnson, who has common things with Trump, has pressured Ukraine’s support even after step down as prime minister. He was a supervisor. It was useless.

Japan is another country that is supposed to have a special view of Trump’s psyche, since the golf tours with the late Shinzo Abe. Its cars face 25 percent of the American customs tariff. The US security guarantee, which has been calculated since 1951, deserves those who know what now.

If it is possible to magic some of the special treatment of a person outside Trump, then there will be a great example of that now. (I assume that there is Vladimir Putin, but he can rely on Trump’s philosophical admiration for the powerful man, and not only on personal rapprochement.) Instead, the rewards for approaching the American president, at least for democratic leaders, are small. As well as the costs of maintaining a generous distance. The definition stopped by the earlier this month was a wide application: it covers countries that do not recognize that they have a mystical connection with the man and do not strive to create one. It might be so Brazil is like Britain.

It is Britain that put hope in Trump. Not only elected politicians, too. Diplomatic and security services consist of conscience people, but their association with the American relationship must be seen close to belief. The lower the country, the more its permanent condition in its distinctive link to Washington – through the Five Eyes Intelligence Club Club, for example – as the ego moisturizer. There are almost no circumstances “approaching the American president for the day” is not the institutional wisdom. Some of this is a loyal Whitol reading of the national interest, and therefore it can tolerate even when it is wrong. But some of them are the desire to reach France and others, not, as an end in itself.

Either way, the result is the same: a constant imposition on the personal and cultural relationship with Trump. What end? A few weeks ago, the low -tariff rate of the United Kingdom was described as Britain’s profit distributions from the European Union, or even as evidence of Anglo -Saxon kinship. Now, after some oval offices with Meloni, he talks about a commercial deal for the United States of America instead. At some point, we have to accept it is just a creature for a moment. Trump may be well eliminated on this person or in that place, but also a man at a dinner in New York says he loves Ireland a lot. Reading strategic commitment in goodwill is not surprising.

Trump’s use of Trump is a good reason to stop his attempt. But, in Europe, there is another one. It is getting more than a message that Trump America is abandoning its allies.

Imagine you are a voter on the continent now. You are required to prepare for higher taxes or lower welfare of the state, and perhaps both, to finance rearmament of generations as the United States pulls its shield. At the same time, your leaders continue to try to link Trump with a state visit or with a personal magic. This is a dog breakfast for reference. Either we live through a permanent rupture of the Atlantic League, in which case Europe must begin to protect itself, whatever the sacrifice, or this is very passing so that it can be overcome with temptations and sweet speaking.

Western leaders can be increasingly divided into those who suffer from horror but constantly from the United States, such as Mark Carney from Canada and Germany Friedrich Mirz, and those who talk about both sides of their mouth on the issue. If Mr. Kerr Starmer Trump gives a royal invitation to Britain, it is not possible to expect voters to believe that Trump is a threat to defend the world to ensure painful financial concessions in the coming years. It is better for Türkiye to become cold in the United States, similar to Carney, and to leave voters undoubtedly about the seriousness of things.

In other words, even if Trump can whisper like a rebel animal, it will remain wise not to do so, to avoid confusion between the audience. But the record indicates that it is not possible in the first place. By the way, the novel that Redford acknowledged the development of a conspiracy that he chose to leave. The horse tramples the whisper to death.

Janan.ganesh@ft.com