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Now we move to northern Germany where the so-called G8 is under way. Among the leaders of the world’s most powerful nations, and that will include President Bush, the truth is however it’s an uneasy gathering and not just beneath the surface. Not everybody is happy with the US, nor is the US anxious to hear about it. Our chief White House correspondent David Gregory is traveling with the president tonight, David, good evening.

Brian, two big issues, of course, climate change and Russia’s new threats against Europe, some sharp exchanges on those topics before this summit have now given way to statesmanship and politeness, raising the question about whether anything would actually get done here.

Back together again, the G8 leaders including some new faces huddled for dinner tonight at the lavish 18th century estate on the Baltic Sea. They were far away from the thousands of protestors, some dispersed by water cannons when they blocked the roads to the summit, others in a seated standoff with police. Under warm sunshine, the leaders mingled. President Bush, doing his best to mask the simmering clash over the climate, talked of shared goals.

One of course is the reduction of green house gases.

Germany’s Angela Merkel and other European allies don’t want goals, they want action. Strict caps on emissions with the US leading the way. Agreement is unlikely at this summit if you listen to the scientific showdown. The German Chancellor’s climate man says one thing.

The problem is you cannot fit the buster any more on the climate problem, it’s so urgent really.

The President’s climate man says another.

And the only here of disagreement is the G8 should dictate the national policies of its members, and that’s, that’s not typically the way the G8 acts.

There is an atmosphere of uneasiness among the Allies again this year. The bitterness over the Iraq war has subsided. It’s no longer discussed really. But there is a new headache, Russia’s Vladimir Putin going nuclear, over a missile shield in Europe. The president speaking to reporters off camera today seemed to dismiss Putin’s threats to aim missiles at Europe again if the US goes forward. Quote “we are not at war with Russia, Russia is not going to attack Europe”, he said. It took a rock star a light in the moon today, Bonald and Bush seeing eye to eye on tackling African poverty.

The president is in an expensive boot on this trip, speaking at length today to reporters about Russia, about climate change and foreign affairs more generally, even known to have spoken about the heated race now to succeed him in the White House. Brian.

Well, David Gregory, covering the G8 Summit in Germany for us tonight, David, thanks