Their blue ties were fastened, their grey hair freshly swept across their heads, their glasses firmly in place.
Reading prepared statements in front of flags, Britain’s Sir Keir Starmer and Australia’s Anthony Albanese addressed their respective nations within an hour of each other.
Stylistically similar, they sought to reassure anxious citizens growing increasingly nervous at the extent to which a war in the Middle East was reaching into their households.
Iran war live updates: For the latest news on the Middle East conflict, read our blog.
For Albanese, the hours spent foreshadowing his prime-time remarks left some wondering if the final product offered more sizzle than steak, something better suited to a social media post instead of a rare national address.
Starmer, in contrast, struck a different tone as he walked into his 10am press conference.
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He again vowed his country wouldn’t be dragged into a war that wasn’t its.
He resisted calls for immediate bill and bowser relief. There was no urging of workers to opt for public transport for their commute.
PM urges those who can to use public transport in rare national address
Like Albanese, there was no acknowledging the Donald Trump-sized elephant in the room.
But one thing was clear. The US president’s recent actions, including threats to walk away from the NATO defence alliance, were profoundly changing the UK’s position in the world.
Starmer looks to Europe for UK future
Starmer has long argued that the UK didn’t have to choose between the US and Europe.
His early efforts to charm Trump were a success, forging an unlikely alliance with a president diametrically opposite to the former chief Crown prosecutor.
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He wasn’t alone. World leaders fell over themselves to woo Trump, eager to stay onside with the famously fickle president.
For a while there, placating Trump seemed the best approach.
Sir Keir Starmer charmed Donald Trump with an invite from the king.
 (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
The president spoke glowingly about Starmer as he brandished a letter from the king.
NATO chief Mark Rutte was even willing to dub Trump NATO’s “daddy” in a bid to keep him in the tent.
But as the war drags into a second month, it’s seeing leaders once firmly willing to stand by Trump suddenly emboldened enough to push back.
Giorgia Meloni’s government denied the US using a base in Italy for its Middle East operations. (Reuters: Evelyn Hockstein)
It emerged this week that Italy — where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is a close Trump ally — denied US military aircraft permission to land at an air base in Sicily.
France blocked Israeli military planes from flying through its airspace, while Spain has been one of the most vocal European opponents of the war since day one.
“It is increasingly clear that as the world continues down this volatile path, our long-term national interest requires closer partnership with our allies in Europe,” Starmer told reporters.
He said the war had highlighted the need for the UK to “go further” in realigning with Europe.
“I do think that, when it comes to defence and security, energy emissions and the economy, we need a stronger relationship with Europe.”
Trump makes no secret of Starmer frustrations
Trump has made no secret of his frustration with Starmer refusing to bend to his will.
Starmer, in return, has avoided naming the US president directly, instead talking about the importance of US-UK ties more broadly.
“Whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I’m going to act in the British national interest in the decisions that I make,” he told reporters on Wednesday, local time.
He pointed to the king’s state visit to Washington later this month as a sign of the two nations’ shared history, a relationship that has long weathered the comings and goings of prime ministers and presidents.
Sir Keir Starmer says the UK will forge closer ties with Europe. (Reuters: Frank Augstein)
US withdrawal from NATO would be devastating for the security alliance. It’s also not as simple as Trump withdrawing the US alone; he needs congressional approval for it to happen.
Leaders will lobby for Trump to stick with NATO, but begging him looks unlikely.
Instead, Starmer and his European colleagues are forging ahead with their own efforts to ease the pain coming from the war.
He announced the UK will convene a meeting of 35 countries later this week to explore “all viable diplomatic and political measures” to restore access in the Strait of Hormuz.
Australia looks likely to be among them, while the US reportedly hasn’t been invited.
It’s emblematic of a globe no longer able to rely on a US president to play the role of leader of the free world.
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