A climate change standoff between Germany and the US hangs over the opening session of this year's Group of Eight (G8) summit in Germany this morning.
As seven world leaders touched down in Rostock yesterday afternoon, over 10,000 protesters succeeded in blocking access by road to the Baltic coast resort of Heiligendamm and forced organisers to bring in delegates by sea and air.
The air was heavy with talk of climate change, particularly with mixed messages coming from US officials. They arrived promising a "large step" at the summit even though they continue to oppose Berlin's summit proposal for G8 countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to half of 1990 levels by 2050.
"I do not anticipate any letting of blood in this discussion," said James Connaughton, senior climate adviser to US president George Bush.
The US president said he came with a "strong desire to work on a post-Kyoto Agreement" - the 1997 climate deal to limit greenhouse gas emissions which Washington refuses to ratify - and that leaders could "reach our major objective: the reduction of greenhouse gases".
While studiously avoiding talk of binding emission limits, Mr Bush has agreed that this post-Kyoto agreement has to be a UN-led process, according to German officials familiar with yesterday's talks.
They were previously concerned the US would start a competing climate initiative. British officials added to German optimism, saying they were confident they could "build on" the US agreement to be part of a post-Kyoto framework to reduce emissions.
After a "good conversation and very good debate" Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged that "there are a few areas we will continue to work on".
She added later: "I think we all know that European goals are not shared by the whole world." Expectations are high that British prime minister Tony Blair will help clear the summit air on climate change in his last major engagement on the international stage.
Mr Blair attempted to bridge the divide between Berlin and Washington in the British parliament yesterday, calling for a "new global deal that involves all the main players including America and China" based on "a global target for a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions".
U2 front man Bono has complained of having a "huge row" with German officials and is "sceptical" of G8 leaders keeping promises in 2005 to double aid by 2010 by an extra $25 billion. After hopes that Germany would lobby other G8 countries to meet their aid promises, the singer said yesterday that Berlin was playing a numbers game with its own aid contributions.
Last week, Germany agreed to increase its Africa aid by €750 million annually from next year for five years; not enough to meet its 2005 promise, according to campaigners.
"For that, Germany needs to increase its aid by €750 million next year, twice that the year after and so on," said Tobias Kahler, German spokesman for Data, the African aid charity founded by Bono.
Earlier, Mr Bush said he hoped to defuse a growing diplomatic row with Moscow on Washington's planned missile defence shield in central Europe by suggesting that Russia participate in the plan.
On the ongoing Darfur crisis, Mr Bush said yesterday that the US would "consider" supporting a no-fly zone to help end four years of fighting in the Sudanese province that has cost 200,000 lives and made refugees of 2 million more.
"I'm frustrated because there are still people suffering and yet the UN process is moving at a snail's pace," said Mr Bush.
Deployment of a joint UN-African Union force in the region has been delayed by leadership rows.