Key points
Watch: US-Israeli alliance ‘never been stronger’
The news conference between Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is now over, so we’re moving back to our regular news coverage…
Earlier, we heard from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson.
He said the alliance between Israel and the US has “never been stronger” and said he was “deeply moved” by the reception that he received in Washington this week.
Watch his remarks below…
Japanese PM: On television he’s frightening, but Trump is sincere in person
Shigeru Ishiba is asked what his impressions have been of Donald Trump since he arrived at the White House.
The Japanese prime minister says he has watched Trump for “many, many years on television” and meeting him was “quite exciting”.
“On television, he is frightening and he has a very strong personality,” he says to laughs around the room.
“But when I met with him, actually, he was very sincere and very powerful and with a strong will for the US and for the whole world.”
Is there a new space race under way?
We’re still listening to Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba talk at their joint news conference.
But away from that for a moment – and for the first time in 50 years the US is engaged in a new moon race.
The competition this time isn’t the Soviet Union, it’s China.
Read the full story here.
Japan and US to work towards ‘complete denuclearisation’ of North Korea
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba says he and Donald Trump have affirmed the need to address North Korea’s nuclear and missile program.
This, he says, “poses a serious threat to Japan, the US and beyond”.
“Japan and the US will work together toward the complete denuclearisation of North Korea,” he adds.
Trump presents Japanese PM with signed picture
Donald Trump starts the news conference by presenting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba with a signed photograph of the two leaders.
“I wish I was as handsome as him, but I’m not,” says Trump as he hands over the picture.
Trump also hands over a book, with an image on the front cover showing the president in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt made against him in Pennsylvania.
He goes on to say Japan has committed to double its defence spending by 2027 compared to his first term as president.
Trump adds that his administration has approved $1bn in foreign military sales to Tokyo.
“The US is totally committed to the security of Japan,” he says.
“We will extend the full strength of American deterrence capabilities and defend our friend and ally 100% in the years to come.”
Trump speaking shortly alongside Japanese PM
We’re expecting to hear shortly from Donald Trump alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Watch along by pressing play at the top of the page – and we’ll be bringing you text updates too.
You can also watch live on YouTube…
‘Let’s do a deal’ – Zelenskyy offers Trump mineral partnership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’s willing to “do a deal” with Donald Trump which would see Kyiv supply the US with rare earths and other minerals in return for financially supporting its war effort.
Trump, whose administration is pressing for a quick end to Ukraine’s war with Russia, floated the idea on Monday.
“If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” Zelenskyy told Reuters, emphasising Kyiv’s desire for security guarantees from its allies as part of any peace settlement.
Ukraine’s leader displayed a map showing numerous mineral deposits, including a strip of land in eastern Ukraine marked as containing rare earths, around half of which appeared to be on Russia’s side of the frontline.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had Europe’s largest reserves of titanium, essential for the aviation and space industry, and uranium, used for nuclear energy and weapons.
Many of the titanium deposits were marked in northwestern Ukraine, far from the fighting.
“The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most,” he added.
“And they should have this priority, and they will. I would also like to talk about this with President Trump.”
The Ukrainian leader said it was essential that he met Trump in person before the US president meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, “otherwise it will look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine”.
Trump says he will make ‘reciprocal trade’ announcement next week
Donald Trump said he plans to announce “reciprocal trade” with a range of countries “next week”, arguing these are necessary “so that we’re treated evenly”.
“We don’t want any more, any less,” Trump said during a meeting in the Oval Office with the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
The president said tariffs are on the table if trade is not “reciprocal” and that he hopes to work on reducing a roughly $100bn (£80.5bn) deficit with Japan.
“We want to get that down to even,” said the president.
“I think we will be able to do that easily. I want to get other countries to equality.”
Lammy: Trump’s foreign aid cuts could be ‘big strategic mistake’
Donald Trump’s plans to make cuts to the US’ international aid budgets could be a “big strategic mistake”, according to David Lammy.
The UK’s foreign secretary cautioned that Britain’s own experience of merging the department for international development into the Foreign Office was a serious blow to Britain’s “soft power” around the globe.
“What I can say to American friends is it’s widely accepted that the decision by the UK with very little preparation to close down DfiD, to suspend funding in the short term or give many global partners little heads up, was a big strategic mistake,” he told the Guardian.
“We have spent years unravelling that strategic mistake. Development remains a very important soft power tool. And in the absence of development… I would be very worried that China and others step into that gap.
“We were hugely critical of the way that the last government handled the decision. So I would caution US friends to look closely at what went wrong in the United Kingdom as they navigate this decision.”
Trump praises ‘highly respected’ Japanese PM and Elon Musk
Donald Trump has been speaking to the media alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba before the two leaders meet privately in the White House.
He says Ishiba is a “highly respected man doing a fantastic job”.
“The people in Japan like him a lot. It’s good,” he adds.
Trump is then asked about Elon Musk and the latest cover of TIME magazine, which shows the tech billionaire sitting behind Trump’s resolute desk.
“Is TIME magazine still in business? I didn’t even know that,” quips Trump.
“Elon is doing a great job,” he adds. “He’s finding tremendous fraud, corruption and waste.
“You see it with USAID abut you’ll see it even more with other agencies and other parts of agencies.”
Trump was also asked about his Gaza plan, to which he told reporters he was in “no rush”.
He also said he plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy next week, and he will “probably” be talking to Vladimir Putin.
“President Putin and I have always had a good relationship,” he said.
“That’s why it’s so sad that it happened. This would have never happened if I were president. It’s so sad to see it happen.”
