KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae arrives in Washington Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with US President Donald Trump.
- While Takaichi had sought a summit with Trump to seek reassurance before Trump’s trip to China, she will now have to talk face-to-face with Trump as he seeks assistance for the US-led war against Iran, assistance that domestic circumstances make it difficult for Takaichi to offer.
- For the summit to be a success, Takaichi has to avoid a public rift with Trump, but in a larger sense underlying tensions in the bilateral relationship will continue to dog her premiership.