bbc news. these the headlines. this is bbc news. these the headlines. finance ministers with a rescue package for countries hit ha rd by rescue package for countries hit hard by the pandemic. in the united states government of the 6.6 million workers have filed for unemployment. one in ten have not been laid off. meanwhile in the epicentre of the outbreak in the us, 799 people have died in the past 2a hours in new york state. it is the highest daily toll since the outbreak began there. and very good spirits, the uk prime minister borisjohnson and very good spirits, the uk prime minister boris johnson is and very good spirits, the uk prime minister borisjohnson is out of intensive care and back on the ward at st. thomas hospital. and uk police step up checks and of the easter weekend is the government says it is way too early to lift the lockdown. those are the headlines on bbc news.

now, on bbc news. it is hard to talk. hard talk. the coronavirus pandemic, isa hard talk. the coronavirus pandemic, is a multilayered global crisis it sta rts is a multilayered global crisis it starts with public health of course but it reaches deep into the world economy and the global security system too. could fears of covid—i9 be used for maligned purposes. will this crisis undermine or enhance multilateral institutions? my guest todayis multilateral institutions? my guest today is the secretary—general of nato. has nato risen to the coronavirus challenge?

en, welcome to hardtalk. thinks mr drive me. how is the coronavirus, the pandemic across the road affecting nato pots possibility to carry out its mission? the reality is that nato is carrying out its mission as we did before the crisis. of course, we have made some adjustments, we have to also take into our organisation, the consequences of the coronavirus crisis. but fundamentally, we continue to provide deterrence and defence and maintain our operational readiness and the deployable combat

groups and eastern parts and celebrations fighting. nato plus plus main responsibility is to make sure that this health crisis does not become a security crisis and nato continues to maintain a incredible defence. business as usual, shirley does not, —— surely it does not. i'm looking may share training exercises in your calling get defender 2020. it has effectively been ruined and the impact of coronavirus and the us forces have been issued with in order not to take part and indeed not to move. we have adjusted the way we work. we have adapted some exercises, we have cancelled some exercises, we have cancelled some exercises, we have reduced the people working in the nato headquarters, but that does not undermine our ability to maintain

what we call an operational residence. meaning, our ability what we call an operational residence. meaning, ourability to deploy forces if needed, our battle groups and eastern parts and missions and operations, policing or deployments. with respect, that cannot be the case. you had to cancel a very important exercise us was to involve 37,000 troops. you had troops, positive and test for coronavirus and lithuania. you have a big problem in afghanistan were servicemembers of the nato forces have also assisted positive in many —— tested positive. as well as in the barracks. you cannot tell me that this is normal. it is not and are capacities of been undermined. it is not normal and i'm not saying that anything has changed. we have changed a lot now we do our work what i am saying is that in spite of the crisis that we have changed the way we work, we are able to deliver oui’ way we work, we are able to deliver our core goals in the midst of a

crisis. nato is, a ready organisation. it was created to cope with crisis and therefore we cope with crisis and therefore we cope with this crisis knowing that you have to adapt and change when you are faced with a crisis is the corona crisis. what you think any potential enemies of nato's member states make of the situation where for example, a very famous american aircraft character, theodore roosevelt is effectively taken out of action because coronavirus, the captain calls for an emergency help buttons and fired by the pentagon for breaking the rules. it looks as though your most important member state and its military have been crippled by fears of coronavirus. i'm not saying that this doesn't have any consequences at all, but

nato maintains readiness and response forces and data missions and operations and deployments and all of that. the us aircraft carrier, or talking about, all of that. the us aircraft carrier, ortalking about, i all of that. the us aircraft carrier, or talking about, i will not comment specifically on that but we have worked for years to make sure that nato will function under all different kinds of crisis and i'm glad to see that we are able to deliver on that but. you keep on talking but the core task but i do think the afghanistan military leaders and political leaders and ordinary people feel about this multinational operation on their soil, that is the us operations on their soil when members of the international military are bringing coronavirus with them into their

country? does not undermine the confidence people will have in hosting nato forces on the territory? it affects us all. all countries, all institutions, all organisations and nato. and there are people in nato, missions and operations that are infected and many of them are in quarantine. that is already been implemented as a precautionary measure. but i know people, the government of afghanistan, they very much welcome that nato maintains its mission in afghanistan. we are there to help fight international terrorism and we are there to send a clear message to the tele— band they will not win on the tele— band they will not win on the battlefield we continue to be there. and we continue to be doing oui’ there. and we continue to be doing ourjob but we continue to be in afghanistan to fight international terrorism. do you agree with the a nalyst terrorism. do you agree with the analyst that works with the council

and the works and nato affairs that after this is all over, there needs to be some really serious thinking about how in his words, pandemics can within weeks to create military operations in fragment unity amongst the closest of allies. do you agree with him? some serious thinking needs to be done. i think after every crisis, we need to do some lessons and adapted how we change your operations. they'll also be the case of the corona crisis and i think not only nato but also nato allies in general have to look into for instance, stocks and medical equipment, protective suits and all those things which have proven scarce oi’ those things which have proven scarce or in lack of in this crisis, soi scarce or in lack of in this crisis, so i think that stocks of necessary

equipment and producing more of it inside of our own countries is a task that needs to be addressed after the corona crisis. with the nato member states, there's been a great deal of propaganda benefit coming to russia and china who have sent supplies to nato member states, supplies that they apparently could not get from fellow members of your organisation, how embarrassing is that? are nato allies, despite this crisis are providing significant support to each other. we have seen no need to have used the capabilities to lift, airlift equipment around the globe to support our nato allies and their providing support to each other. with respect, that is not what we have seen. i am seeing some report

from april two which is headlined by facemasks from china intended for france were hijacked by the united states who, at the last minute, jumped intoa states who, at the last minute, jumped into a deal between france and china, offering a much higher price to the chinese to get tens of thousands of facemasks. millions of facemasks. france and the us are supposed to be nato partners. what on earth is going on? distinguish between the fact that nato allies are providing help to each other and the amount of help that is been provided from nato analytes is been much bigger than a help that is come from china or russia. but again, this is not a competition about who can provide the most help, this is a global crisis that requires a global response to help each other. second, we have seen... let me ask you just a very blunt question, do you think the people of italy and spain where

the people of italy and spain where the coronavirus impact has hit very hard, do you think that they feel that they have received sufficient support from fellow nato member states ? support from fellow nato member states? normally when we have a crisis, only in limited number of countries are affected in than the others can provide help to those affected. now, everyone is affected in the mix the whole situation much more difficult because not all allies have full capacity and that is the reason why i think one of the lessons really are to look into after this crisis is their ability of masks, protective suits and so on. but that is the less we have to look into after we address the most immediate crisis. you and i have talked about your concerns about cyber warfare coming from different sources, but you have mentioned russia and china in the past. there

is an eu report issued just a couple weeks ago talking about a significant disinformation campaign by russian state media and pro—kremlin outlets regarding the covid—i9 crisis in europe. what are you in nato as protectors of europe from cyber warfare and that kind of damaging propaganda, what are you doing? at the same time, like the highlight that this is a global crisis and we need to mobilise global unity in fighting the coronavirus, but of course, we are diligent and we are responding when we see this information. i believe that the best a nswer to information. i believe that the best answer to propaganda is not propaganda but the truth. and we provide facts and we are open and transparent but i think that the most important tool that we have in fighting this is an independent

press. it is journalists asking difficult questions, asking for a response or checking the sources so institutions like bbc and all others independent media are playing a key role in making sure we are not victims of propaganda. now, you tell me that the road needs to find unity. global unity you've said several times during this interview. what do you make of a leader by far the most important nato member states, the united states, of course i'm talking about present donald trump, refers to the coronavirus as his phrase, the chinese virus, claiming that china has deliberately withheld information to damage the united states and is now attacking the world health organisation by claiming that it is china centric. my claiming that it is china centric. my main responsibility is that the nato allies stand together and help

these civilians in health care services to cope with these crisis provide help and support to them that exactly what we do. and this would undermine my task list or to comment on each and every leader and what i know is that nato allies agreed last week where we address this is a global challenge and we call for unity and facing this is covid—i9 global challenge to all of us. so that is the line in which i am working in bud my work is based on. but you are part of a multilateral organisation, you want to see global unity and i am asking you, as a significant role figure,

what you make of a us president who is currently attacking the world health organisation, accusing it of being china centric and going further in suggesting that china has been mine intentions. further in suggesting that china has been mine intentionslj further in suggesting that china has been mine intentions. i would not undermine my position of trying to keep allies together if i started to comment on the rural health —— world health organisation and the role it is plain. my most urgent and most important task now is to make sure that we are mobilising as much support to allies as possible and we see that military personnel are playing a key role in the fight against the coronavirus. they're doing everything from controlling and disinfecting public spaces, setting up field hospitals and providing military and medical support. i don't mean to belittle any of that. continue and step up to

do that. i do not mean to belittle it and just what do you make of what the un secretary general is saying to us ona the un secretary general is saying to us on a hard timejust a the un secretary general is saying to us on a hard time just a few days ago placing international cooperation has never been at this low level before in the midst of a crisis. he is deeply concerned. are you? i'm concerned about the consequences of this crisis and the fa ct consequences of this crisis and the fact that it affects all countries around the world and it is less full capacity and that is see reality. and trust of a responsible for their own populations stop by the --. but mr gutierrez, a trend

towards quite blatant nationalism and self—interest that is hampering effo rts and self—interest that is hampering efforts to develop and in truly internationally coordinated solution. i see that some are in a difficult position and i have seen some difficult international cooperation. i've done everything they can't release make sure that nato a national and tradition that delivers. a quick thought that is very relevant to nato's future, the economists on the economic deepfreeze that the world is entered asa deepfreeze that the world is entered as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, that we are going to see contractions of national economies between five and 20% in this current year and that is disastrous, it means deficits and national debts are going to soar right around the

world. do you know acknowledge that it is impossible to imagine that all of those countries in nato who have committed to meet the 2% military spending pledge, they are in no way going to be those places the next few years. do you accept that? accept of the coronavirus will have an economic consequence, how big those consequences will be, it depends on how much this will last but potentially severe economic consequences. especially for those who are and do not have so much from beginning. so of course, this crisis will always have a social profile which is bad. those who are in trouble from beginning, they have, or the suffering more than those. but to be very direct about this. there's no way countries like italy and spain are going to meet the 2% threshold and christopher, the

expert of the atlantic council said that what is happened in what is going to happen of the next few months could well sound the death kneu months could well sound the death knell to those nato military spending commitments. if donald trump does not give us commitments, nato is obsolete. which leaves you with the huge problem. but the challenge and the dilemma we are faced with this that yes, there will be consequences for the credit crisis by the same time, the threats and the challenges that made us invest or decide to invest more in this have not disappeared. we are still faced with terrorist threats and threats in cyberspace and we are still seeing more assertive russia and challenges remain there despite the corona crisis. but governments simply are not going to have the money. they're not going to have the money. they're not going to have the money. and on top of that military personnel in the armed forces provide it such capacity for nations to deal with disaster crisis as the

corona crisis. and so when you look around across the nato alliance, investments in the military actually provide a lot of capabilities which are used in fighting his civilian health crisis but investing in the military is not only a response to military is not only a response to military threats but also health crisis is the coronavirus. you must end soon. a couple of specific challenges that you mason ijust wonder thoughts on them. afghanistan is in wonder thoughts on them. afghanistan isina wonder thoughts on them. afghanistan is in a mess right now, the americans have done a deal with the tele— band that are going to draw back their troops and you and nato are supposed be drawing down your troop numbers as well to fully withdraw within 14 months, but we are very seen the peace deal is falling apart. there's been a fundamental disagreement over prisoner releases, both sides blaming the other in the american saying that they mightjust blaming the other in the american saying that they might just abandon the peace deal and polite

unilaterally. which leaves you in nato and extraordinary difficult position. what are you going to do? it isa position. what are you going to do? it is a very difficult situation and it has been for a long time and that is also the reason why we have decided to reduce our military presence from 16,000 troops to 12,000 nato troops and we have also said that further reductions have been based on conditions and our presence will be reduced in afghanistan only if we see that the taliban delivers on their commitment and the peace deal. but what of the americansjust and the peace deal. but what of the americans just unilaterally pulled their troops out like mike penn said he might do just the other day. they also made it clear as a nato ally that this is conditions based. it will be bad for all of us if we allow afg ha nista n will be bad for all of us if we allow afghanistan once again for a national terrorist safe haven stop i do think the american policy right

now, which seems to change from day todayis now, which seems to change from day today is responsible? we have consulted closely with nato allies and trying to reach out to the tele— band and the presence in afghanistan is to get an afghan led, afghan on political process and the agreement between the united states and the tele— band would be supported by nato is it actually facilitates in her negotiations. it is a hard way to peace in afghanistan but the only way to pieces by making sure that afghanistan is taking responsibility for the peace process themselves and thatis for the peace process themselves and that is actually the main purpose of the agreement between the us and alabama. one question on turkey. we are about to make operational, they're very sophisticated russian air defence system, the as 400 and against the wishes of the united states and against your hopes and wishes as well, should turkey, which

is under nato, be punished for making those defence systems operational? turkey is an important ally and they have been vital in the battle against isis and iraq and syria and we work with them. should turkey face sanctions? then i realise and it's recognised by all nato allies that the turkish decision to invest in the russian system creates some problems within the alliance and i've expressed my concerns about the turkish decision andi concerns about the turkish decision and i welcome the fact that these ongoing efforts are trying to solve it and spoke with the president about that and other allies about that issue and we have continued to try to address this issue because

the as/400 system will never be a pa rt the as/400 system will never be a part ofan the as/400 system will never be a part of an integrated nato system and that is another challenge. final thought, it comes based on a quote from another nato expert here in london, elizabeth. she thinks very carefully about nato's future and has written this. covid—19 is the worst national security crisis to hit nato member states since the alliance was founded. is this going to be nato's moment to reassert its central relevance? yes. i think this crisis proves the importance of countries working together and importance of having structures in places nato has demobilized to help seville —— civilians and that this is exactly nato is doing. but let me add, i would like to comment that all of those people on the front line, first and foremost, health

workers were every day fighting this crisis, helping people to cope with a very difficult situation for all of us. i think you forjoining me on hardtop from brussels and stay healthy. thank you so much. —— hardtalk. most parts of the country will be dry and warm today, yesterday was the warmest day of the year so far in whales and temperatures of 23 and a half degrees in cardiff, summer temperatures and some parts of southern england make it up to 25 degrees. yesterday in the cloud in newcastle it was only 9 degrees so today will be significantly warmer

and will also be warmer across central southern parts of scotland. gradually over the weekend we will see the high temperatures getting squeezed out towards the southeast of england will start to see cooler from the north with significant change from all of us on monday with some cooler northerly winds. these temperatures that we are starting off with on friday, it's a pretty mild even in the south glory of the sclera skies and much milder customer than scotland this time where there will be semantically away from the northern isles and there was some sharp showers can begin across scotland and perhaps the far north of england for a up and see some sunshine for rain holding off into the evening with plenty of sunshine across england and wales and the higher temperatures are likely to be in the midlands, was towards the southeast of england and 24 and even 25 degrees but some of that heat could trigger something dirty outdoors later in the day across north wales and in northern england and also some other weather coming into parts of scotla nd some other weather coming into parts of scotland too. though still be some showers and saturday morning across scotland and the north of

england and those should fade away and may brighten up for much of the country, it should be dried to the afternoon they could be a few sharp showers developing in wales and the southwest and more likely to be in the southeast of england, 26 degrees is possible. more significant changes coming in northern parts of the uk will be cooler and cloudier, further south was some sunshine more likely to be some showers developing across more southern parts of england and wales and it could be heavier in foundry, but 22 degrees to possible in the southeast but the heat is beginning to ebb away. and thatis heat is beginning to ebb away. and that is because we've got a change in the wind direction. while we will see the back of the shows eventually, it is a cold air of high—pressure movement in the north and more stronger winds. and into monday, across the eastern side of the uk further west, temperatures this time is 14 degrees and those temperatures are below average for

the time of year.

welcome to bbc news. i'm simon pusey. the headlines: a further 6.5 million us workers filed for unemployment has president trump announces plans to reduce the economic impact of coronavirus. the australian researchers studying a new phase for testing the vaccine. prime minister boris johnson out of intensive care but staying in hospital as the uk government says there are no plans to lift block down. and liftoff. and getting away from it all, the russian space mission leaving it all behind.