Theatrics are not in his nature, but thinking ahead certainly is. Hence a letter from the King, delivered at just the right moment.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain cut international aid to raise military spending. He’s hoping to make a case for Ukraine at the White House.

The prime minister wants to keep everyone happy. He has been loath to criticize Trump, has warmed up Britain’s post-Brexit partnership with the European Union, avowedly backed Kyiv and thawed ties with China. At a time of geopolitical upheaval, he is attempting to squeeze Britain into an impossibly tight Venn diagram.