Joao Vale de Almeida

João Vale de Almeida is the EU’s former ambassador to the United
States, UN and the UK. As one of the world’s foremost diplomats, his
career has given him a front row seat in international relations over the
past two decades. A visiting fellow at both Cambridge and Columbia
Universities, he is a highly experienced public speaker who appears
regularly on the BBC, Sky News, ITV and Channel 4.

ABOUT THE BOOK

'The Divorce of Nations'

“In my time working on Europe, João was the most important name in my address book,” says Lord Kim Darroch, former EU adviser to PM Tony Blair, British Ambassador to the European Union, and British Ambassador to the US.

Today, we find ourselves in arguably the most dangerous geopolitical situations of modern times. Outlining key moments over the last quarter century, this vital book represents the personal testimony of one of the world’s foremost diplomats, João Vale de Almeida. His experiences enable us to trace how countries – and indeed the world – have been sleepwalking towards ‘The Divorce of Nations’ and the steps we can take to fix it. João has met every consequential leader in the world during the time since the turn of the new millennium.

The book features interactions with global leaders such as Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, Boris Johnson, Angela Merkel, and Donald Trump. João recalls the fifteen times he met Vladimir Putin and the early warning signs and grievances Putin aired in the run-up to the invasion of Georgia in 2008, which was the precursor to the annexation of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and eventually the full invasion in 2022. Other key moments include the global response to the Great Financial Crisis, how the world shifted in the aftermath of 9/11, and the impact of China joining the World Trade Organisation the same year. As the first ever EU Ambassador to the UK, João details a vivid and unique account of the first 1,000 days of Brexit, the ultimate act of divorce so far.