First he cancels his trip to Moscow. All commentators who know Putin, Medvedev and Lavrov thought this a mistake. He should have gone there, tested possibilities and reported back. No, not Boris the showman. Grandstanding, one liners and soundbites flowed like a river in flood. Then came a plan this Blog saw no prospect of working, involving backing the Russians into a corner and demanding they do as the West tells them. It could not work, was pointless and the other European foreign ministers vetoed it.
So now Tillerson is off to Moscow. Boris has egg on his face. The UK has been sidelined by Europe. The hard truth is that both Washington and Moscow regard him as a clown with zero grasp of diplomacy. They are right. May must rid herself of this court jester whom she cannot any longer afford. Neither can the country. At least we understand why Gove knifed him in the back.
What a fiasco.