Rutte says that defence ramp up is needed so the alliance is in a position to “address the threats we face.”

“Russia remains the most significant and dire threat to security in the Euro-Atlantic area,” he says, referencing numerous incidents from the last year, including airspace violations, sabotage, malign cyberactivities, and drone incursions.

Let’s go across the town to Nato HQ, where secretary general Mark Rutte is speaking about the alliance’s 2025 annual report.

He says the alliance sees “clearly that our world is constantly changing, and we are adapting to ensure we remain prepared,” as Russian aggression on Ukraine continued as did its “increasingly reckless” behaviour towards Nato.

You can watch it below, but I will bring you all the key lines here.

Elsewhere in Brussels, the European Commission has accused four pornographic platforms of allowing children to access adult content in breach of digital rules, putting the companies at risk of large fines.

The European Commission said its preliminary findings said that the four pages failed to protect children’s rights and wellbeing. The EU said minors could access all four platforms by a simple click confirming they are over 18, AFP reported.

EU technology spokesperson Thomas Regnier said:

“None of them have proper age verification measures in place. … The situation is quite terrible. … In France, from age 12, more than half of boys visit pornographic websites each month. In Ireland, more than 50% of boys first encountered pornography between the ages of 10 and 13. In Poland, one of the nine most popular platforms for kids aged 7 to 12 is one of these pornographic platforms.”

Separately, the commission also opened a probe into Snapchat, also over suspicions the platform is not doing enough to protect children using the app.

in Brussels

The European parliament has to advance the EU-US trade deal but with conditions aimed at preventing Donald Trump’s administration from riding roughshod over Europe.

Lawmakers voted in favour of texts tabled by the head of the European parliament’s international trade committee Bernd Lange that would introduce safeguards to the EU-US trade deal signed last summer at Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland.

The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Trump agreed last August that the EU would scrap tariffs on many US goods, while the US would impose a 15% rate on many European imports, maintaining 50% duties on steel and aluminium.

The European parliament, which needs to approve the lowering of EU tariffs, has twice paused the vote on its consent, following Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, then a US Supreme Court ruling, declaring the US president’s tariffs unlawful.

Introducing the vote on Thursday, Lange said the Turnberry deal was not a formal trade agreement:

“An agreement that we negotiate has commitments and safeguards and a dispute settlement mechanism … now all of that is not in the deal from Scotland.”

The parliament voted on Thursday that it will only accept zero tariffs on US goods, if hundreds of European goods made with steel and aluminium are excluded from the 50% US tariff on those metals.

European industry protested after the Trump administration, following the Turnberry deal, introduced 407 different product categories that would be subject to the higher 50% rate, from wind turbines to the furniture, fearing the possibility of an ever expanding list.

Further safeguards include scrapping the EU’s zero tariffs if Trump introduces new trade measures against the EU and a sunset clause to end the agreement by 31 March 2028.

Lange’s amendments were approved by 417 MEPs, with 154 against and 71 abstentions.

An amendment by the radical left to vote down the deal failed to win support. Martin Schwirdan of Germany’s Die Linke, a co-leader of the left group, said “This is not a fair deal. This is blackmailing.”

Sophie Wilmès, a vice-chair of the European parliament’s US delegation, said:

“As the US administration lacks either the capacity or the willingness to guarantee even this minimum, it is up to us, Europeans, to put our own safeguards in place to protect ourselves from the chaos of US tariff policies, and even from certain threats.”

But it is not clear that EU member states will accept this attempt to improve the Turnberry deal, in the wake of further threats from the Trump administration.

Trump’s ambassador to the EU, Andrew Pudzer, told the Financial Times that the EU must implement the deal without amendments or risk losing “favourable” access to liquified natural gas shipments from American exporters.

Zelenskyy also warned against allowing Russia to benefit from the “uncertain” oil and gas markets amid the continuing Middle East crisis.

“We all know that, for Russia, money from oil and gas means more time for war,” he says.

“So please keep the pressure on Russia, its tankers and shadow fleet must not feel safe in European waters,” he adds.

And that ends the public part of the JEF meeting in Helsinki.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is speaking next, in a pre-recorded video.

He was meant to be in Helsinki, but couldn’t join after some “rescheduling” was needed, Finland’s Stubb says.

In his intervention, Zelenskyy talks about the need for defence cooperation as “no one knows what the future holds for Europe or how Russia will behave in the coming years.”

“We have an aggressive Russian regime next to us that has no intention of returning to a peaceful coexistence with its neighbours,” he warns.

Starmer also says that “we must keep strengthening our support for Ukraine,” including further action on the shadow fleet, which he says is “a really important agenda item” today.

He says Europeans need to “keep up the pressure on Putin and to help change the narrative.”

“The reality on the ground is that Ukraine is holding firm.

They’ve taken back territory in recent weeks, and they’re imposing a terrible cost on the invaders.

So whatever Putin may tell himself, after four years, the truth is that Russia is not winning. They won’t win. And they must stop blocking the path to a just and lasting peace.”

Over in Helsinki, the leaders are now sitting down to start their working session on northern European security and Ukraine.

Finland’s Stubb says the discussions will be about the East, with Ukraine and Russia, but also the Arctic, the North Atlantic, and the Baltic.

Britain’s Starmer says that while the attention of the world has shifted to the Middle East, “the threat from Russia in the north and in the east has not gone away; in fact, in my view, that threat has grown.”

He also notes that the crisis in the Middle East has “highlighted Ukraine’s expertise in modern warfare,” including on defences against Iranian drones.

He pays tribute to the “extraordinary fortitude” of the Ukrainian people as they face “Putin’s abhorrent attacks over the winter.”

He says that Europe’s support for Ukraine is “unshakeable.”

Meanwhile, the European Parliament has just voted to advance the EU-US tariff deal.

With 642 MEPs present, 417 backed the proposal, with 154 opposed and 71 abstaining.

Meanwhile, the US president, Donald Trump, has once again lashed out against Nato allies saying in a social media post that they have “done absolutely nothing to help” in Iran campaign.

“The USA needs nothing from Nato, but ‘never forget’ this very important point in time,” he warned.

Here is his post in full:

“NATO NATIONS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP WITH THE LUNATIC NATION, NOW MILITARILY DECIMATED, OF IRAN. THE U.S.A. NEEDS NOTHING FROM NATO, BUT “NEVER FORGET” THIS VERY IMPORTANT POINT IN TIME! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda is up next.

He says that “despite the efforts of the US administration … and the international community, unfortunately we do not see the resolution of this crisis, because of the unwillingness of the Russian Federation to proceed and have a deal.”

He says Russia wants to “continue the war, try to conquer as much as possible [in terms of] the territory of Ukraine.”

Nausėda says it is “regretful” that the EU cannot progress its €90bn loan for Ukraine, which continues to be blocked by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.

He says he explains that with “the hot election period” in Hungary, but hopes to get a deal at some point.

He also briefly talks about the drones reported in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and confirms the one in Lithuania was “of Ukrainian origin” and was originally aimed at Primorsk in Russia.

He says the incident highlights the need to step up drone defences so EU countries can respond to the risks associated with the war taking place on its eastern border,

Dutch prime minister Rob Jetten is also here.

He celebrated his 39th birthday at last night’s pre-summit dinner with a sweet cake courtesy of Finland’s Alex Stubb.

He says that the most important challange for northern European countries is to deal with “hybrid and physical threats from Russia” which remain “the biggest threat to European security.”

Jetten also says that his government will “continue support our Ukrainian friends … for as long as the Russian aggression against Ukraine continues.”

He also insists that there should be “no easing [of] sanctions against the Russian Federation,” as they “continue hitting them very hard.”

He says the Netherlands will be working closely with the UK, Belgium, France and others on intercepting the Russian shadow fleet.

“I expect – in the weeks and months to come – more interventions [involving] the Russian shadow fleet,” he says.

Estonia’s Kristen Michal also highlights the need to continue supporting Ukraine.

He says “everybody is probably watching what is happening in the Middle East and with concern, that is understandable, but for our neighbourhood and region, that is happening in Ukraine is of utmost importance.”

He says Ukraine “needs our help, assistance, money, weaponry, and all that we can do.”

Michal says “we need to keep the pressure on Russia” as that is “the only way to stop Russia from being an aggressor state and coming to negotiations.”

“Because if you don’t take away the money from Russia, if you don’t pressure them, politeness will not work with Russia. It’s weakness for them,” he says.

Norway’s Jonas Gahr Støre is up next.

He says the JEF format proves to be an important forum for northern European countries to discuss their shared challenges and deepen their cooperation on security.

“It’s Europe’s responsibility to strengthen the European pillar of Nato,” he says, as he insists “this is not due to the current American administration,” but “a historic responsibility that we [all] need to take.”

He also underlines the need to keep paying attention to Ukraine, as the country continues to be affected by Russian aggression.

“We support Ukraine and their right to defend themselves. But this has implications for European security. We cannot sit still and see that the military means will be used to change geography, change borders,” he says.

Støre says Europe will continue to “make it very clear to the Americans that we encourage them to play their role diplomatically,” even if there is little progress in formal talks with Russia.

“We need to increase the pressure on Russia,” he says.

Latvia’s Evika Siliņa is the second to arrive and she stresses the need to talk about Ukraine after recent “very serious” attacks from Russia, adding that Europe “needs to discuss how we can develop our drone capabilities.”

“We need to decide that we need to manufacture … them more,” she says, adding that “without those capabilities, it’s impossible now … to win any war.”

She also talks about the need to press ahead with the next round of EU sanctions against Russia to “eliminate [its] financial resources” to fund the war against Ukraine, but obviously these continue to be blocked by Hungary.

First heads of states and government are now arriving at the Joint Expeditionary Force meeting in Helsinki, where they are expected to talk about Ukraine, Russia, the Baltic Sea, and broader regional cooperation.

Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson is the first to show up and speak to reporters.

He speaks about the need to act against the Russian shadow fleet, stressing that any responses needs to be in accordance with international law, but “it [still] gives us a lot of room for us to act.”

But he warns that the Baltic Sea “has probably never in modern times been more challenged” with attempts to cut undersea cables or “bad seamanship,” but it “has probably also never been as protected as it is right now” through Nato.

“What Russia is doing is very concerning,” he says.

He also notes that Russia is benefiting from a higher oil price as a result of the Middle East crisis.

Senior German MEP Bernd Lange, who led the work on the trade deal at earlier stages, told lawmakers earlier that the additional safeguards were needed as the original agreement, as signed in Scotland last year, was merely an outline of what would normally be included in a trade deal.

He also warned that the deal was “relatively one-sided,” but “maybe if we can improve it, we can live with it.”

But he also expressed doubts about the volatility of the US position, with repeated threats of new tariffs.

“So there has been a certain amount to uncertainty, … and that is why we do need to create some certainty, to have an agreement with sensible rules and ones that we can define,” he said.

He said the parliament needed to make sure that “if there is a big change on the other side that is unacceptable, we can then come back to our tariffs.”

EU lawmakers are set to vote on the bloc’s tariff deal with US president Donald Trump today, after months of delays caused by uncertainty affecting transatlantic trade amid his repeated threats against Greenland and, more recently, Spain.

The parliament will vote on whether to cut EU tariffs on some US imports – as a first step towards implementing the 2025 deal – but with additional safeguards, AFP said.

Lawmakers leading on trade have added several provisions: making an EU tariff reduction automatically lapse in March 2028, and tying tariff cuts on steel and aluminium goods to similar reductions by the US side, it explained.

EU’s economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis argued this morning that the deal with the US “steadied our trade relationship at a time of profound upheaval” and provided “predictability for European companies and consumers when they needed it most.”

“The deal is a deal, and our credibility depends on keeping our word.”

But still many are not sure about the deal given the volatility on the US side under Trump.

“The only political value this agreement had to offer was stability and predictability, even if many say it’s an unfair deal. If it no longer even provides predictability, there’s no reason to support the deal, even if it has been improved,” said French MEP Pascal Canfin.

The vote is on around 11am local time (10am UK), with a policy debate on the proposal now under way.

Elsewhere, I will keep an eye on Denmark, as the outgoing prime minister Mette Frederiksen gets on with the task of finding a majority in the next Danish parliament, and on Brussels, where we are expecting to hear from Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte on his 2025 report.

Several European leaders are also meeting in Helsinki, where the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, hosts a meeting of JEF, the Joint Expeditionary Force, operating in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region. UK’s Starmer and Norway’s Støre are among attendees, and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy will deliver a pre-recorded speech.

Lots for us to cover.

It’s Thursday, 26 March 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.