Britain has been accused of cowering in the face of Donald Trump after becoming involved in a second row in 24 hours with European leaders over the future of the Middle East peace process.

The foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, with support from Estonia and Hungary, blocked an EU foreign ministers’ statement on how the EU could support the process, it emerged on Monday.

The latest move came after the UK rejected the conclusions of a Middle East peace conference staged by France in Paris on Sunday. In blunt language, the UK dismissed the conference as ill-advised because of the absence of the Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the imminent inauguration of Trump.

While more than 70 countries attended the Paris conference, with roughly 30 at foreign secretary level, the UK refused to send a minister or ambassador and was the only major EU country to attend only in observer status. It also refused to signthe ensuing communique.

The EU foreign ministers’ text would have welcomed the results of the Paris conference and set out the potential incentives that the EU could provide if the two sides managed to restart talks. The statement would have pledged “an unprecedented package of political, economic and security support to be offered to both parties” in the event of a peace deal, bolstering earlier EU statements.

But the statement was shelved as the UK and other opposing countries thought the statement was mistimed just four days before the new US president took office. The UK argued that the statement risked hardening positions without helping to solve the conflict.

MORE:    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/16/uk-cosying-up-to-trump-over-middle-east-peace-process-say-eu-ministers