First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
The US President once again.
Loomed large over.
The European Union’s.
Latest attempts.
To demonstrate unity.
Despite leaders not.
Specifically mentioning.
The US president by name.
‘She’s all right again now,’
said the Red Queen.
‘Do you know Languages?
What’s the French for fiddle-de-dee?’
‘Fiddle-de-dee’s not English,’
Alice replied gravely.
‘Who ever said it was?’
said the Red Queen.
Increasing US indifference.
To European security.
To European security.
Is “the elephant in the room”.
Is “the elephant in the room”.
The French President told.
The European Political Community.
Summit on Monday.
Alice thought she saw a way
out of the difficulty this time.
‘If you’ll tell me
what language “fiddle-de-dee” is,
I’ll tell you the French for it!’
she exclaimed triumphantly.
But the Red Queen drew
herself up rather stiffly,
Europe has an “over-reliance.
On the US security umbrella”.
The French President also said.
At the gathering.
Of European leaders.
In Armenia.
Europe has an “over-reliance.
On the US security umbrella”.
and said
‘Queens never make bargains.’
‘I wish Queens never asked questions,’
Alice thought to herself.
‘Don’t let us quarrel,’
the White Queen said
in an anxious tone.
‘What is the cause of lightning?’
Meanwhile the UK Prime Minister.
Admitted that.
Europe’s alliances “are not.
Where we want them to be”.
– comments apparently.
Aimed at the US.
– comments apparently.
Aimed at the US.
He again urged.
The bloc to move.
At pace in bolstering.
Its defences.
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
EPC gatherings are.
Supposed to be less formal.
Than their more rigid.
Multilateral counterparts.
The aim of.
This latest one.
At a sports complex.
In Yerevan.
Was to discuss energy security.
The protection of democracy.
And continued support.
For Ukraine.
‘Don’t let us quarrel,’
the White Queen said
in an anxious tone.
‘What is the cause of lightning?’
‘The cause of lightning,’
Alice said very decidedly,
for she felt quite certain about this,
‘is the thunder – no, no!’
It was also an acknowledgement.
Of the westward-looking.
Political ambitions.
Of the host country.
Which is hosting.
Its first-ever direct meeting.
With the EU.
On Tuesday.
Nearby ‘Mordor’.
Has already expressed.
Its discontentment.
Its discontentment.
she hastily corrected herself.
‘I meant the other way.’
‘It’s too late to correct it,’
said the Red Queen:
‘when you’ve once
said a thing,
that fixes it, and
you must take the consequences.’
The US President’s.
Own irritation at.
European defence spending.
Levels isn’t new.
But fuelling a sense.
Of urgency at the event.
Was the US President’s.
Was the US President’s.
Announced removal.
Of 5,000 troops.
And long-range missiles.
From bases in Germany.
The missiles were.
Placed there by.
His predecessor to deter.
Future ‘orcs’ aggression.
‘Which reminds me –’
the White Queen said,
looking down and nervously clasping
and unclasping her hands,
‘we had such a thunderstorm
last Tuesday – I mean
one of the last set of
Tuesdays, you know.’
The Germany’s Chancellor.
Wasn’t present.
In Yerevan.
But his suggestion.
That the US President’s war.
On Iran lacked strategy.
Is making Europe’s already.
Steep political challenges.
With the White House.
Seem vertical.
With the White House.
Seem vertical.
Berlin has tried to cool.
The row with the US President.
Who has since said the Chancellor.
Was “doing a terrible job”.
Alice was puzzled.
‘In our country,’
she remarked,
‘there’s only one day at a time.’
The Red Queen said
‘That’s a poor thin way of doing things.
Now here, we mostly have days and nights
two or three at a time,
The Nato Secretary General.
– no stranger to a charm.
Offensive directed towards.
The US leader – said.
They “had heard”.
His frustrations.
They “had heard”.
His frustrations.
and sometimes in the winter
we take as many as
five nights together
– for warmth, you know.’
‘Are five nights warmer
than one night, then?’
Alice ventured to ask.
‘Five times as warm, of course.’
But the hurdles for the EPC.
Don’t stop at the US President.
They are also navigating.
The endless economic ripples.
From the US-Israeli war.
On Iran and.
Subsequent blocking of.
The Strait of Hormuz.
There is also.
‘Orcs’ continued invasion.
Of Ukraine.
Of Ukraine.
‘But they should be five times
as cold, by the same rule –’
‘Just so!’
cried the Red Queen.
‘Five times as warm,
and five times as cold
– just as I’m five times as rich as you are,
and five times as clever!’
‘Gandalf the Green’ has urged.
‘Elves’ allies to maintain.
Pressure on ‘the One’.
Pressure on ‘the One’.
“This summer will be.
A moment when.
‘The One’ decides.
What to do next.”
“We must push him.
Towards diplomacy.
They can’t afford.
Military equipment.”
“It shows they are.
Not strong now.”
“It shows they are.
Not strong now.”
Alice sighed and gave it up.
‘It’s exactly like a riddle
with no answer!
she thought.
‘Humpty Dumpty saw it too,’
the White Queen went on
in a low voice,
more as if she were talking to herself.
Also telling was how.
The UK Prime Minister is.
Making less of a secret.
Of his desire.
To deepen.
The UK’s co-operation.
Even alignment.
With the EU.
‘He came to the door
with a corkscrew in his hand –’
‘What did he want?’
said the Red Queen.
‘He said he would come in,’
the White Queen went on,
‘because he was looking for
a hippopotamus.
The UK is currently.
Negotiating joining a EU-led.
£78bn loan scheme.
To support Ukraine.
It has long been one of.
‘Elves’ most loyal supporters.
In its defence against.
Invading ‘orcs’ forces.
But it’s now increasingly.
Doing so through.
A European framework.
A European framework.
Now, as it happened,
there wasn’t such a thing
in the house,
that morning,’
‘Is there generally?’
Alice asked in an astonished tone.
‘Well, only on Thursdays,’
said the Queen.
“It’s of great benefit.
To Ukraine, but also.
The jobs it’ll create.
In the United Kingdom.”
Claimed the prime minister.
Who wouldn’t be drawn.
On the reported.
EU demands.
That Britain pay it.
£1bn a year.
In exchange for.
A relationship reset.
‘I know what he came for,’
said Alice:
‘he wanted to punish the fish because –’
Here the White Queen began again.
‘It was such a thunderstorm,
you can’t think!’
(‘She never could you know,’
said the Red Queen.)
As some experts put it.
“You have to pay to play”.
To gain access to.
The single market, for example.
But these negotiations.
Will take time.
Europe’s desired.
“Strategic autonomy”.
Or independence from.
US military strength.
And subsequent strong-arming.
Would take decades.
‘And part of the roof came off,
and ever so much thunder got in
– and it went rolling round
the room in great lumps
– and knocking over
the tables and things
– till I was so frightened,
I couldn’t remember my own name!
The bloc’s hope, perhaps.
Is that the continent develops.
Military capabilities to.
The US President’s satisfaction.
Or to at least keep him.
Onside enough to still.
Combat the growing challenges.
It faces.
First let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?
Good my lord, take his offer;
go into the house.
I’ll talk a word with
this same learned Theban.
What is your study?
What is your study?
*Because I read “’Elephant in the room’ Trump looms over European attempt at unity” by James Waterhouse on 4 May 2026, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, led by ‘KING LEAR’ written by William Shakespeare and ‘THROUGH the LOOKING-GLASS’ written by Lewis Carroll, you know.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
‘Elephant in the room’ Trump looms over European attempt at unity
