it comes as russia launched an unprecedented 267 explosive and dummy drones against ukraine as israel steps up its military operation, saying it's now on bbc news — newscast. this is a seven day a week operation.

he's written to all federal employees asking them to send five bullet points copied to their boss. some people might say. yeah. i think you would. oh, what have i done? five things. well, not five. and i wrote a piece for the front page of the website yesterday. and you hosted a tv show. i did a tv show this morning. we did a podcast yesterday. so that's three. yeah. so we'll talk a little bit about the white house. hello. it's laura in the studio. and it'sjoe pike in the studio. how very nice to have us with you. thanks for inviting me. how very nice to have us with you,did you say? did i say that?

you did. appearing on this newscast. that's with all thy worldly goods i thee endow. what kind of period are we in? is this where one of the biggest prime ministerial visits to the us in decades? i think it probably is. the jeopardy is massive. i mean, there's already alwaysjeopardy in these sorts of visits, but just the unpredictability of the occupant of the oval office, i think has changed things. in a washington that has had a month of chaos. bless you. including the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. so the prime minister

will arrive in a city that's got a lot of other things going on aside from ukpm. there for the uk? it's a huge deal to go to the white house. and journalists, including people like myself, get kind of frothy with excitement about the press pack and lots and lots and lots of countries. a pretty similar message. take yourtime in ukraine, don't rush into a bad peace deal. press and also in broadcast media saying there has to be but of course, still not being explicit on what the uk

yes. so in ourjob of trying to provide a summary of the sunday journalism on the television, on the radio a piece in the sun on sunday saying, you've got to put ukraine at the centre of a peace deal. then one of the other papers says it's likely they will dangle a state visit. state visit to the uk then. also david lammy, the foreign secretary, does anyone know it in detail? and i think it'll all be formalised tomorrow. so you can see the uk sort of saying we're going to support ukraine, we're still going to keep hammering russia. there's still going to be military support for ukraine.

bridget phillipson, was still, you know, playing that game about when the government will, in due course set out how it will reach its 2.5% target. to be saying, "you're going to have to do a lot more than that on defence." joe, what do you think? ambassador in dc, has been counselling keir starmer to get to 2.5% by 2030. who say that's correct, but lord mandelson isjust one and there are two reasons why that is very important. nato secretary general

and labour defence secretary. and how can you put together a review and really understand where the uk should be spending money in defence in this sort of new, far more, drone based, ai based defence space? if you don't know how much money you've got, even though, procurement and millions billions has been wasted in previous projects. and also, i think in this, the labour government the assumption of the last many decades, that america would always be around as a sort of, you know, said on the tv. 2.5% is ambitious, and the last time that was achieved, - it is an ambitious commitment, a commitment that we - we are determined to deliver and we will set out that -

but you will forgive me. i'm not in a position _ on your programme this morning what that timetable looks like, the pathway towards it - it was only a few months ago we had a uk general election and we were not talking about defence spending as a number one issue. the conservatives were going to be thrown out after 14 years and 75,000 prime ministers they gave us, and the public were talking about a totally different range of subjects. they were. it has definitely in recent months been and it is... in the last ten days, and we talked about that a lot for your ears wherever you get your audio products.

been blindsided and they cannot have been taken by surprise by the fact that defence spending suddenly seems more urgent, not least because the chief of the defence staff in november made absolutely clear that he thinks that more the threats are increasing. do you remember grant shapps? the former defence secretary, said we were he did. so this hasn'tjust come from a clear blue sky in the last ten days. that's how long ago it was. which one? is that.. who can forget the prussian war of 18? it shows quite how much we have been dominated yeah.

newscasters are having their ears bent about this subject because of, you know, who. and it's an interesting point about what kind of society we are in europe. we didn't have this conversation ourselves. the germans didn't start this conversation. the french didn't start this conversation. wants us to have it. and i'll tell you what's also interesting to vladimir putin. donald trump was right. she really mean to say that? so i asked her again, and this is what she said. it will require a negotiation - with the russians through part the right approach. but any lasting settlement. where it comes to peace does require ukrainian voices, i president zelensky's voice

to be a central part of that. that donald trump had phoned vladimir putin, the sort of western diplomatic world went into a huge frenzy. "putin was meant to be on the edge." and now here we have our government, perhaps in the sun on sunday today, talking about it being time for action. donald trump is right to grasp the nettle he wrote. in the sun on sunday. but alsojohn healey, the defence secretary's piece when missiles hit.

of different people in communities, i think the british public, just as across the atlantic, the many billions that the us has spent on that conflict, yeah. position has become that it's ok to call vladimir putin. is that what is that? that's what she said. she said it twice. being critical of her. i just think it was very obvious there was a deliberate

decision in government to say that donald trump has made the right decision to bring vladimir putin into the diplomatic fold, and that is a move, given apart from macron, did have a call with putin at the beginning of the conflict. and i don't.. i can't remember the date of that. lifted the phone to him. today and of keir starmer in the paper seems to still be that ukraine must have a voice. difference in position is about sovereignty. awkward in that it's different from the us position that there should be.

keir starmer argues a path to nato membership for ukraine, even though that's been ruled out week and a half ago by. let's have a listen to the president. never seen before. thing is going to end. it's a horrible, - horrible thing to watch. i'm dealing - with president putin. and stable for ukraine. that's one of the great lessons of our history. and security in this new era. it's time to take responsibility for our security. how big the check is?

here is like walking along this very, very, without in any way diluting the uk's support for ukraine, which has been vital and has made a difference but how they do that is a real, realtightrope. and how can keir starmer prevent the sort of embarrassment of that meeting going badly and having to stand next to donald trump at a press conference on thursday if the meeting doesn't go his way? of course, this dominant issue at the moment, there are two other issues that the uk government are really focussed one is avoiding tariffs something they're really, some sort of economic partnership in the tech space

that feeds into, as avoiding tariffs would, economic growth, and the only way he can really sort out many of the domestic even if all of us are only thinking at this stage it's an interesting test for the new ambassador, isn't it? will he be in the white house? or will he be there in the main action? it's an interesting moment for me, because all of our lives we've followed this man's career. and it was rumoured that the president was going i was watching his video introducing himself to

had been like before. but as far as i can remember, it left out his time in the eu. a skilled communicator and will be on fox news so the intention before he was appointed was certainly very, very visible. and communications. yeah, because i think the thing i'd be interested in the two so macron goes on monday.

we can say we're not... we're not those people. we have a historic alliance with the united states so i think point one, it is easier in some regards now we are out of the european union. like the european union. what i think is also true is that the uk's relationship, slightly different with the.. because of all the joint military action, you know, and the us over a period of many, many, many, many, so i think there was always a difference between the britons and the rest.

countries in the eu. there are also other european countries who are not in the eu, but who are part of what you might say that's not a formal thing. but of course, then you have the sort of so i'm aware that i am rambling, but brexit has but there were already differences in our relationships with america. well, joe agreed. is that fair? joe's been reduced to silence. bored into submission. that there's a day of so these plates shifting in the world, one of the big, it's voting today.

and all the issues that we talk about on the newscast. so we put ourselves in the position of germany with its historic role with russia, for goodness�* sake. and you can see how what a giant weekend this suddenly they go put a tick in the boxes. and it's on of the features as well, of now seen the polish president, andrzej duda, who became the first european leader to meet him in person. he's already got a commitment from donald trump not to reduce the us military in poland. so that's quite a good example of what someone said to me in government almost

through gritted teeth the other day. style directly because, i mean, we're going to have i suspect not. the editor of the economist, moment in time and this

new style of diplomacy. we're not in a world - of traditional diplomacy. we're in a world of mobster mafia gangsterism. - and i think it's to - sort of use tv shows. trump, and what do you need? what do you need to do? kind of disagreement. that brings him a win. is an era of mobster diplomacy really takes me by surprise. another expert in the field of national security. and the other side is a loser. that's a useful bit of briefing from her. we also heard from peter ricketts on newscast on saturday. a democracy in europe

to vladimir putin? does he wants to be known as that for the next half a century. something different? and i hope newscasters agree, because that's not noise, that's substance. absolutely. and it's a huge challenge and a huge risk, but also together with emmanuel macron, can make that case persuasively and as some people might see it, slow down some of the rush towards a ceasefire deal because donald trump has he said time and time and time again, he wants to end the war. who would not want to end a war? the point is not about ending the war. for the uk government, it's about ending the war and then securing something that looks like stability and doesn'tjust enable vladimir putin to reload and go again in a few years�* time. to washington. and i thought, shouldn't we know?

i was trying to get clarity on this a few days ago from a member of his team, and they didn't reply to me, reply to you, laura, they say it's... we're not going to reply. it's because of the fact that he called him a megalomaniac and a wig. oh, no, idon�*t think that matters. buried the hatchet. offered him extra helpings of chicken when they all had it said it's all fine. but also, if you're. worried about people who said if you think donald trump is worried about people who've said bad things about him? donald trump, who have been given very senior positions,

i don't know if david lamb is going. david lammy is going. there might be something else that's very important of his team, then textjoe back and you can put newscasters and one perhaps small side point that shows quite how important this visit next week is that a senior member of communications, has been in washington over the last few days on a sort of pre—trip trip, trying to sort out. this is not some junior member of the event staff trying to work out which door people will enter, or the security is. sure things go well.

it's a very interesting to see. the joint congress in 1942, referencing his american mother. ronald reagan on horseback with the queen at windsor castle. and in 2019, donald trump spoke about the normandy landings, what had happened, what had been achieved with americans you know, maybe it's a bunch of old nattering journalists this is... all you know, i've moved on from. it's the economy, stupid. it's the.

it's the politics. opportunity to be had. a genuine difference to war or lasting peace. as a prime minister. in government, could he become an international figure of some standing who is able to demonstrate that he can persuade and has the ear of the most unpredictable american president, perhaps of all time, certainly things with, if they can pull off the politics of it. the politics of this, and it is about the personalities too. sometimes people get sniffy and say, well, politics should keep personalities out of politics. that's not realistic.

to people's personalities, appealing to what will be a win or a lose for them. keir starmer, if he can actually pull it off. and i'll give you another example of of what i like about and this is the standard to which i think the prime france can be judged. this show us what you've got. and de gaulle said to lbj, get your troops out of france. to which lbj replied, does that include the ones buried under her soil? and treasure that's been spilt by america in the defence of europe, this is the time

we want to see it. because if the plates are shifting, we're going to learn history and how eloquent the french are as well, about that, that period of the normandy landings. in the next few days. how about i make a prediction because i'm always wrong. and that way... that we can hold my feet to the. well, we'll see, won't we? it'll be very interesting. because donald trump, we know he's interested we know he's interested in the concept of sort of glory

and courage and bravery. of history, but i'm sure that he would recall that moment when he stood alongside the late queen. we know how much he is interested in being associated with the monarchy. maybe that would be something that would be wise to bring up, i don't know. who knows what will have happened by the end of the day. do keep us on the straight and narrow. much of you know who. goodbye. live from berlin, this is bbc news. polls close in germany in one of the most consequential elections since reunification.

but all eyes are on the far—right party, the afd, who polls suggest could come second. i'm sumi somaskanda in berlin, where we'll get the first exit poll results in the next few moments. join us live. i'm rajini vaidyanathan in london. our other top stories: in exchange for peace or ukraine's nato membership. translation: if there is peace ukraine, translation: if there is peace i ukraine. if— translation: if there is peace - ukraine, if you _ translation: if there is peace - ukraine, if you really - translation: if there is peace - ukraine, if you really need l for ukraine, if you really need to for ukraine, if you really need - to leave _ for ukraine, if you really need to leave my £2222 =zm =::_my. me to leave my post, i'm ready. second. — me to leave my post, i'm ready. second. and _ me to leave my post, i'm ready. second, and exchange it for me to leave my post, i'm ready. secor if and exchange it for me to leave my post, i'm ready. secor if there xchange it for me to leave my post, i'm ready. secor if there is hange it for me to leave my post, i'm ready. secor if there is such; it for me to leave my post, i'm ready. secor if there is such a t for tens of thousands gather in beirut for the funeral of the hezbollah leader, hassan nasrallah. as israel steps up its military operation, expelling residents and people around the world

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