Washington ? President Bush is extending an olive branch to European leaders who opposed his Iraq policies. Recent international developments, plus a whirlwind charm offensive by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, have bolstered the prospects for a trans-Atlantic reconciliation.

Bush’s own re-election, along with elections in Iraq and the Palestinian territories, have helped put Bush and most European leaders on the same page.

“My trip to Europe is to seize the moment and invigorate a relationship that is a vital relationship for our own security, as well as … for long-term peace in the world,” Bush said ahead of the five-day visit that was beginning today.

On the first overseas trip of his second term, the president also hopes to increase pressure on Iran and Syria.

During her well-received tour of Europe and the Middle East this month, Rice said the United States “stands ready to work with Europe on our common agenda, and Europe must stand ready to work with America.”

Even so, Bush has a history of alienating leaders on the continent with blunt words and actions that many Europeans associate with a cowboy. Polls show that Bush remains unpopular in Europe.

“There are a lot of people in Europe who don’t really comprehend how this guy got re-elected. There’s a basic distrust of him and his administration. But everybody also realizes he’s going to be around for the next four years,” said Ivo Daalder, an expert on Europe for President Clinton’s National Security Council staff.

“The real question is whether the president and the Europeans are willing to engage in a serious dialogue or continue to talk past each other,” Daalder said.

Bush’s trip coincides with rising tensions in the Middle East. Washington recalled its ambassador to Syria to protest what it sees as a possible link to the assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister. The European Union did not follow suit.