… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!

• The European Commission said it would use “diplomatic channels” to “convey our concerns to our US counterparts” after the US vice-president, JD Vance, repeatedly attacked EU institutions for alleged interference in the Hungarian election campaign (13:08).

• Earlier today, Vance spoke at the conservative Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest, repeatedly praising Viktor Orbán ahead of this Sunday’s elections (11:47) and criticising the EU and the UK for their energy policies (11:50).

• Vance argued that his “unprecedented” visit was needed to counter “garbage” being told about Orbán and say that “Viktor and his government are doing a good job and they are important partners for peace.”

• The US VP also dismissed suggestions that his visit and campaign involvement amounted to the very foreign interference he was criticising in his comments (11:40, 13:39).

• Separately, Hungary’s foreign minister appeared to offer to send his Russian counterpart a document about Ukraine’s European Union accession, leaked recordings purported to show, prompting further questions about the Orbán government’s relations with Russia (17:12).

If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.

I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s foreign minister appeared to offer to send his Russian counterpart a document about Ukraine’s European Union accession, leaked recordings purported to show, in the latest indication of Budapest’s warm relations with Moscow, Reuters reported.

The audio clips released by a consortium of investigative news outlets including VSquare.org were the latest in a series of leaked conversations that purport to show how Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s government has worked with Russian officials to undermine EU efforts to aid Ukraine.

“I will send it to you. It’s not a problem,” Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó says in one conversation, after his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, says Moscow is trying to get a document about the role of minority languages in Ukraine’s EU accession talks.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the audio, but Szijjártó has previously said wiretapping of his phone calls was a “huge scandal” and Orbán has ordered an investigation into it.

The recording comes amid increasing scrutiny of Hungary’s ties with Russia, just days before a key parliamentary election on Sunday.

Over the past 16 years prime minister Viktor Orbán has turned Hungary into what he calls an ‘illiberal democracy’, using a parliamentary supermajority to effect constitutional control over institutions, targeting minorities, political opponents and the independent media in the process.

Yet in spite of this power, he is projected to potentially lose the popular vote at the upcoming election, the most critical in Europe this year.

See our On the Ground video report from Hungary for more on the election:

Ahead of Rutte’s meetings in Washington DC, the German business newspaper Handelsblatt reported that Nato is considering a naval mission to secure the strait of Hormuz in a move to “appease” Trump.

One potential idea would be to start it as an informal mission organised by a “coalition of the willing” before formally upgrading it as a Nato operation at the upcoming summit in Ankara in July, the paper claimed.

But the talks were still at “very early stages,” it added.

Not difficult to see why as many not allies would not necessarily want to be involved – and not just Spain (10:15).

(I have asked Nato for their response to this report; will update you if/when I get it.)

Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte will have a tricky task this afternoon as he meets with the US president, Donald Trump, and his senior officials, including the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth, for talks about the alliance.

Trump had suggested last week that the US may consider leaving the transatlantic alliance after Nato member countries ignored his call to help reopen the strait of Hormuz and support his Iran campaign, AP noted.

But the president appears to have an unusually warm relationship with Rutte, with some in Europe even criticising the former Dutch prime minister for being overly friendly – or borderline sycophantic – with Trump, even as he repeatedly clashed with Nato allies in recent months, most notably over Greenland.

Let’s see what, if anything, comes out of his meetings today.

Speaking of foreign interference, Russia has also chimed in, backing JD Vance’s suggestions that some in the European Union were opposed to the re-election of Viktor Orbán and actively trying to help his rivals.

“Many forces in Europe, many forces in Brussels, would not like Orbán to win the elections again,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

“This is well known, it’s obvious to the naked eye, and, of course, they’re playing into the hands of those forces that politically oppose Orbán and believe that publishing such materials could harm him,” Peskov told reporters when asked about a leaked transcript of Orbán’s phone call with Russia’s Putin last year, reported by Bloomberg.

Reuters reported that Peskov, who did not deny the remarks were genuine, said they showed Orbán in a pragmatic light.

“He is indeed a very effective politician … one who is specifically defending the interests of his own country,” Peskov said.

Germany also rejected JD Vance’s accusations that the European Union is interfering in the upcoming election in Hungary.

The fact that Vance is in Hungary “already shows, or speaks for itself, who is interfering in what,” a government spokesperson said.

The European Commission’s spokespeople – three of them, no less – have reluctantly reacted to JD Vance’s comments alleging the EU’s unprecedented interference in the Hungarian elections.

At first they insisted they wouldn’t respond to his comments, even as they very pointedly noted the context of his visit – just days before the vote on Sunday.

The commission’s tech spokesperson Thomas Regnier somewhat mockingly said that “what the European bureaucrats have been doing is [moving] to set out a strong framework to make sure that the elections remain in the hands of our citizens.”

While his comments were seemingly about the regulation and use of social media platforms during election campaigns in Europe, it felt like there was a bit of an underlying message to the US VP, too.

But eventually, pushed a bit by several journalists, they went further, with the EU’s foreign spokesperson Anitta Hipper saying:

“We have also our diplomatic channels and we will be using these also to convey our concerns to our US counterparts.”

Pressed further on what the nature of the concerns was, however, she said the EU was “not in the business of disclosing what we talk about with our partners.”

The commission’s deputy chief spokesperson Arianna Podestà added:

“We have appropriate channels, appropriate frameworks, diplomatic contacts, [and] the joint statement. That is a framework in which we discuss matters of relevance with our partners. And that is where we will be bringing the discussions with the United States if they consider it something worthwhile pursuing with us.”

And just as JD Vance wraps up his speech, once again repeatedly endorsing Viktor Orbán to be re-elected this weekend, a new Median poll for hvg.hu appears to suggest that the opposition Tisza Party, led by Péter Magyar, could be on course to win big this Sunday.

Their latest analysis – looking at its five surveys – suggest the opposition could command as many as 138 to 143 seats in the next parliament, which would give it a two-thirds majority (there are 199 seats in total).

This is a critical point given how the Hungarian statutes, known as “cardinal laws”, require super majorities to reform laws in some critical areas, such as the judiciary.

A failure to get a supermajority would radically limit the new government’s ability to reform Orbán-era laws and resolve longstanding tensions with Brussels by making changes needed to unlock EU funds.

According to their calculations, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz would get between 49 and 55 seats, with further 5-6 seats going to the far-right Mi Hazánk party.

Looking at vote share, Median’s poll implied 48% support for Tisza, with 30% for Fidesz, and 4% for Mi Hazánk. 15% of voters did not want to answer or were not planning to vote.

As always with all polls – published at any time, and even more so in the final week of the campaign – it’s best to be very, very careful with reading too much from them, but it’s still worth noting.

Vance then goes into a longer discussion on the state of (primarily) higher education and his regular criticism of what he sees as a left-wing academia.

In a soft ball question to finish the panel on, he gets asked about his advice to younger people and to be fair to him makes a decent joke saying:

“I’d say enjoy your youth while it lasts, because one day you’ll wake up and you’ll be 41, and you’ll have a glass of wine at dinner and wake up with a headache the next morning and be talking to this fine gentleman.”

(That’s a resounding endorsement of Hungarian wine, which to be fair is indeed great.)

But then he issues a rallying cry to the conservative students in the audience, telling them to “resist the temptation to think that victory is immediate, or that we’re going to win back our civilisation through instant gratification.”

“But I think a lot of people this is particularly true in the United States of America. If they see something that the administration does, they don’t like, they say, oh, that’s not what we voted for. We’re going to check out a politics.

No, no, no, no. That’s the exact wrong response. If we do something you don’t like, the response should be to get more involved, to make your voice heard, and to try to push things in the direction that you want them to be pushed.

Our civilisation was not built overnight. It’s not going to be saved overnight. And so what I’d encourage you to do is stay involved, be patient, and don’t let disappointment turn to checking out of the system entirely.”

He then ends with a call to action:

“We need to take power back from those people and build the kind of institutions that can actually save our societies. It will not happen overnight. It will not happen in the term of one prime minister or one president. But it will happen so long as we keep our faith in God and we work hard to achieve it, that’s what we have to do.”

He gets a decent ovation and that wraps up the event.

On Iran, JD Vance says this is why he was late to the meeting as he was “up very late last night” dealing with the Middle East.

He says the military aim in Iran – or “decimating the Iranian military” – has been “achieved,” and the focus shifted to re-opening the straits with Trump telling Iran to “stop trying to hold the world’s economy hostage.”

“And that’s exactly the agreement that we came to last night.”

He calls the truce “fragile,” but references Trump’s comments that “the Iranians are better negotiators than they are fighters.”

He says some people in Iran replied “very favourable” to the proposed truce, but others “are basically lying about what we have accomplished militarily” and “about the nature of the agreement.”

“This is why I say this is a fragile truce. You have people who clearly want to come to the negotiating table and work with us to find a good deal, and then you have people who are lying about even the fragile truce that we’ve already struck.”

He ends with a thinly veiled warning to the Iranian leadership:

“The president … has told me and he’s told the entire negotiating team, the secretary of state, the special envoy, Steve Witkoff, he said: go and work in good faith to come to an agreement. … If the Iranians are willing, in good faith, to work with us, I think we can make an agreement; if they’re going to lie, if they’re going to cheat, if they’re going to try to prevent even the fragile truce that we’ve set up from taking place, then they’re not going to be happy.”

He says:

“He’s told us to come to the negotiating table. But if the Iranians don’t do the exact same thing, they’re going to find out that the president, the United States, is not one to mess around.

He’s impatient. He’s impatient to make progress. He has told us to negotiate in good faith. And I think if they negotiate in good faith, we will be able to find a deal. That’s a big if. And ultimately it’s up to the Iranians how they negotiate. I hope they make the right decision.”

Repeating his lines from last night, Vance also talks about how much he and the US administration love Europe and want it to succeed and that this is where they harsh criticism come from.

He specifically criticises the energy policies of European partners, including specifically that of the UK (“which is way underinvested in their energy resources”).

He says:

“But is it a scandal that middle class Brits, that people who are working hard and playing by the rules, can’t afford to heat their home, can’t afford to transport themselves to work because their leadership has made energy so expensive? …

It is not magical that the United States has lower energy costs in the United Kingdom. It’s because we’ve made smart decisions and their leadership is not. They could change course, and we hope that they will.”

He then turns to criticise the EU’s scrutiny of US social media platforms, attacking the bloc’s “bureaucracy” in Brussels.

Praising Orbán further, Vance says he “does a good job, because he does,” and is a “very, very important partner for peace.”

He says “most of the European political capitals have not been nearly as helpful to the cause of peace between Russia and Ukraine as Viktor Orbán has.”

He repeatedly rejects EU criticism of Orbán’s Hungary as a “scandal.”

He eventually acknowledges how unusual it is for him to be here, though:

“It’s the reason why I’m here. This is unprecedented. It’s unprecedented for an American vice-president to come the week before an election.

The reason why we’re doing it is because we thought there were so much garbage happening against Viktor in this election, that we had to show that there are actually a lot of people and a lot of friends across the world who recognise that Viktor and his government are doing a good job, and they’re important partners for peace.”

Circling back to the issue of Ukraine, Vance says the US has been “disappointed by a lot of the political leadership in Europe,” who he says “do not seem particularly interested in solving this particular conflict.”

He says only some leaders have been helpful – he namechecks Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and “some of the western European capitals, … at least behind the scenes” – but says Orbán “is the one who has encouraged us to truly understand this” conflict.

He says the work will go on, but Ukraine and Russia need to decide to move, too – seemingly implying that Kyiv should make territorial concessions to end the conflict.

“What I would say to both the Russians and the Ukrainians is, you know, we’re talking about haggling at this point over a few square kilometres of territory in one direction or another. Is that worth losing hundreds of thousands of additional Russian and Ukrainian young men? Is that worth an additional months or even years of higher energy prices and economic devastation?

We think the answer is clearly no. But it takes, you know, two to tango. So while Viktor and president Trump are going to continue to work towards a peaceful settlement, fundamentally we can only open the door. The Russians and the Ukrainians have to walk through it.”

in Budapest

As we are still waiting for JD Vance to show up at the MCC, you may want to read this analysis from our own Ashifa Kassam who is in Budapest and following the US VP’s activities in the Hungarian capital.

Here is her take on the events of the last 24 hours:

“Vance’s visit thrusts the US administration into a hard-fought campaign in which most polls suggest Orbán is facing the possibility of losing his 16-year grip on power.

As Hungarians grapple with economic stagnation, deteriorating public services and rampant corruption, Orbán is facing an unprecedented challenge from Péter Magyar, a former top member of Orbán’s Fidesz party. …

The day laid bare the shared playbook between Orbán and the Maga movement as the leaders railed against Brussels, migration, Ukraine and praised what Vance described as ‘the values of western civilisation.’

Even as the visit made headlines across the globe, analysts doubted it would do much to shift the election result.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded to the Iran ceasefire news by saying that he remains keen to end the Russian invasion on his country with a deal, too.

He said:

“A ceasefire is the right decision that leads to ending the war. It means saving lives, abandoning the destruction of cities and villages, and allowing power plants and other infrastructure to operate normally – and thus provides the time and conditions necessary for diplomacy to deliver results. Ukraine has always called for a ceasefire in the war waged by Russia here in Europe against our state and our people, and we support the ceasefire in the Middle East and the Gulf that paves the way for diplomatic efforts.

Ukraine tells Russia once again: we are ready to respond in kind if the Russians stop their strikes.”

He added that Ukraine had been involved in the Middle East and the Gulf too, “helping protect lives.”

He said:

“Ukrainian expert military teams will continue to work in the region to help further develop security capabilities. The situation in this region has global implications – any threats to security and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf amplify challenges for the economy and the cost of living in every country.”

in Madrid

In one particularly punchy response to the Middle East ceasefire news, Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, who has been perhaps the most outspoken western critic of Trump’s war in Iran, has said his administration “will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket”.

He said:

“Ceasefires are always good news – especially if they lead to a just and lasting peace. But this momentary relief cannot make us forget the chaos, the destruction, and the lives lost.

“The Spanish government will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket. What’s needed now are diplomacy, international legality, and PEACE.”

For more Middle East news, follow our live blog here:

US vice-president JD Vance continues his stay in Budapest, where he is expected to address the conservative Mathias Corvinus Collegium this morning on the back of his yesterday’s “not-at-all endorsement” of the embattled prime minister Viktor Orbán, five days out from the key election on Sunday.

His comments yesterday caused quite a stir after he repeatedly blasted the European Union for allegedly interfering with the vote, before repeatedly endorsing Orbán, openly campaigning for him and thus effectively interfering with the election on his own.

Erm. Make it make sense.

Let’s see what he says today.

Elsewhere, European leaders woke up this morning to much-welcome news that, after all, Donald Trump did not follow through on his earlier threat that “a whole civilisation will die” as he struck a provisional ceasefire deal with Iran.

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, just welcomed the news saying the agreement will “bring much-needed de-escalation” and a chance for “negotiations for an enduring solution to this conflict [to] continue.”

France’s Emmanuel Macron said the deal was “a very good thing,” and something to build on.

“We expect, in the coming days and weeks, that it will be fully respected throughout the region and will allow negotiations to take place,” Macron said, adding he would want Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire, too.

Finland’s influential president, Alexander Stubb, also praised the move, saying he “continues to support all the efforts to end the war and to build this ceasefire into a more permanent arrangement in the strait of Hormuz and in the whole Middle East.”

But their relief may not last long as Nato’s Mark Rutte is travelling to Washington today to meet with Trump, US secretary of state Marco Rubio and US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth after their last week’s frustrations with the alliance.

Let’s see if we hear more complaints about it, or if Rutte’s unique, at time bordering on sycophancy, style of communications helps him get Trump to change his rhetoric once again.

Lots for us to monitor and cover. I will bring you all the latest.

It’s Wednesday, 8 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.