Europe is heading for perilous waters, and its leaders are dozing at the tiller | Simon Tisdall

Inaction threatens the continent's security over Trump, Ukraine, the rise of the far right and the crisis in the Middle East

Democrats fear Joe Biden is sleepwalking to disaster in a November rematch with Donald Trump. Tories level similar criticism at dozy Rishi Sunak as Labour dreams of an autumn landslide. Butfor a truly world-beating slumber party, EU leaders take the bedtime biscuit.

The way it's going, 2024 could turn into a nightmare for the 27-country bloc - an all-time annus horribilis. A daunting slew of international and internal challenges is coming to a head. Is the EU ready to meet them? Definitely not.