BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

Hello and welcome to political thinking.

For Boris Johnson, forum policy is a comfort.

It's a balm.

It's a safe place.

That is perhaps why he is called or visited Ukraine so often

when he's in deep political trouble.

That is why he looks cheerful,

having spent eight days away from home

at three different international summits.

The Commonwealth heads of government meeting, the G7,

NATO, usually people would say it's very dangerous to be away

when your enemies are plotting back at home.

The Prime Minister clearly believes though

that this shows him as he wants to be seen as a leader.

And having travelled with Prime Ministers for many years,

I know that the one thing they value

is being in the world's most exclusive club.

The club of world leaders.

Because whatever their politics and wherever they're from,

over a whiskey late at night or a coffee in the morning,

they can sympathise with each other

...