August 21, 2019

Boris Johnson Needs Help From Trump, but Not Too Much

Featuring: Julianne Smith

Source: The New York Times

Journalists: Steven Erlanger, Stephen Castle

Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, known for his bombast and outspokenness, began his first foreign trip as leader on Wednesday walking a daunting diplomatic tightrope, ostensibly trying to pry Brexit concessions from stony-faced Europeans while keeping a wary eye on his domestic opponents with a general election possible in the fall.

And looming over it all for the new prime minister is the vexing problem of President Trump.

Mr. Johnson, who spoke about Brexit with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, in Berlin, on Wednesday, will also meet with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on Thursday. But, while Mr. Johnson and Ms. Merkel both promised to try to work out a solution, the talks are not expected to break the deadlock that has poisoned and paralyzed British politics for three years.

Read the full article and more in The New York Times.

Author

  • Julianne Smith

    Former Adjunct Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Program

    Julianne (“Julie”) Smith is a contributing editor to Foreign Policy, where she coedits “Shadow Government.” She is also a senior advisor at WestExec Advisors, an adjunct senio...