When Donald Trump signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Versailles on June 17 after the G7 summit, it dominated the headlines around the world. This is no more than you’d expect. The 60-day ceasefire, which – despite a few wobbles – appears to be largely holding in both Iran and southern Lebanon, was a major breakthrough, even if US concessions to secure the deal raised more than a few eyebrows.

But the noise from Versailles effectively obscured some very significant developments at the G7. First, and most importantly, the G7 leaders’ adept handling of the US president, Donald Trump, seems to have edged him back into line with Europe over the war in Ukraine.

As we’ve come to know over Trump’s presidencies, this could easily change. But for now, the European G7 countries’ pledge to provide more military aid to support Ukraine over the winter will have come as a considerable fillip for Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. And the American president’s promise to provide “backstop” for these efforts made this all the sweeter.

These, and the success of recent strikes on targets deep inside Russia, have greatly improved the mood in Kyiv.

But the apparent unity of the G7 on Ukraine concealed some important differences of approach developing as European members work out if – and how – they might “go it alone” when it comes to their security arrangements. This has been an issue greatly exercising European leaders’ minds as the US downgrades its commitment.

Stefan Wolff, of the University of Birmingham, and Richard Whitman, of the Royal United Services Institute and the........

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