Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
French president Emmanuel Macron praised Europe’s “predictability” during a visit to Japan, contrasting it with countries that “could hurt you without even informing you” in an apparent swipe at Donald Trump (13:37).
His comments come as several European countries were forced to respond (11:31, 13:48, 15:55, 16:06) to latest quotes from US president Donald Trump implying he was considering pulling the US out of Nato amid his growing frustration with some allies (11:06, 11:13, 15:13, 15:49).
Trump is expected to come back to the issue in his overnight address to the nation.
But Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, said he spoke with Trump this afternoon and insisted that “problems are there to be solved, pragmatically” (17:02).
In other news,
Russia dismissed Ukraine’s suggestion of an Easter ceasefire as a “PR stunt” and a delaying tactic by Kyiv, further complicating the latest talks about ending the conflict (14:01).
The European Union has sought to ramp up pressure on Hungary to drop its veto on the €90bn loan for Ukraine, with the European Commission saying it will push ahead with its preparatory work for the loan to be paid out (12:41).
UK’s prime minister Keir Starmer suggested his country could seek a closer relationship with the EU as a result of increasingly “volatile” global situation (11:42).
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'Problems are there to be solved,' Finnish president says after call with Trump after his Nato anger
Finland’s president Alexander Stubb – often dubbed Europe’s “Trump whisperer,” although he always distances himself from that label – has spoken with the US president this afternoon ahead of what could be Trump’s pretty explosive speech later tonight.
Stubb summarised the call in a brief post on social media, saying:
“Spoke with @realDonaldTrump. Constructive discussion and exchange of ideas on Nato, Ukraine and Iran. Problems are there to be solved, pragmatically.”
Updated
