The leaders of 44 European countries are having talks in Prague, at a historic first meeting of a new political club of nations. As he arrived, France’s Emmanuel Macron spoke of building a “common strategy” in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. UK Prime Minister Liz Truss joined leaders from the EU, Turkey, Norway and the Balkans, with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky expected via video link. She made clear the summit was “not an EU construct or an EU alternative”. However, her decision to take part could mark a new phase in the UK’s post-Brexit relations with Europe. Writing in The Times ahead of the summit, she said that, after Brexit, the UK should be involved in discussions that affected “the entire continent and all of us here at home”. The idea of a broader European political community beyond the EU has been championed by Emmanuel Macron, who told reporters on Thursday it sent a “message of unity”. But there’s scepticism, even within the EU, about the new forum.(BBC)…[+]