Who are America’s best friends in the world? A decade ago, the answer might have been the UK and Israel, but events and personalities have not been kind to both relationships.

Britain has become more inward-looking and its politics are still scarred by the unconditional support Tony Blair gave to the Iraq invasion. The current leaders of Israel and the US can barely stand to be in the same room with each other and Israel is central to few of the huge problems engulfing the Middle East.

Instead, this week’s agenda gives an indication of the new hierarchy in Washington. On Tuesday, Malcolm Turnbull, Australia’s new prime minister, was Barack Obama’s guest at the White House. Meanwhile, defence secretary Ashton Carter was in Paris for meetings about Isis and to give a talk at the Ecole Militaire.