Today’s news summary – Paper Talk
Friday’s papers report on the warning from US President Joe Biden when he said Nato would respond “in-kind” if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine. The president’s comments were made after his talks with other leaders in Brussels.
Another lead story dominating the front pages is the ongoing reactions to chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement – with most papers feeling the chancellor did not go far enough in helping Britain’s poorest.
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The Daily Telegraph calls it a “toughening in the US stance”, while the Guardian believes Mr Biden’s threat “raises the stakes” with Moscow.
The Sun welcomes the US president’s words. “For once Joe Biden talked a good game,” its opinion column states.
But it goes on to say “he has a history of craving hasty exits from foreign conflicts” and expresses hope that he “sticks to every word”.
The Times hails the unity displayed by Nato – which it says has been “reinvigorated” by Russia’s invasion. But it thinks maintaining that unity will be a challenge “in the face of what may be a prolonged campaign”.
The Daily Mail’s front page reveals that Boris Johnson is now regarded by the Kremlin as “public enemy number one” because of his attempts to galvanise the international response against Moscow’s invasion.
Moves by the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged war crimes in Ukraine are welcomed by the Financial Times.
The paper says Mr Putin “will not be in the dock in the Hague any time soon”. But an indictment against him “would bolster Ukrainians’ sense of being on the right side of history, and perhaps help persuade Russian soldiers that they are not”.
“Kiss it goodbye” is the Metro’s headline. The paper says Britain has ‘humiliated’ one of Putin’s closest allies by putting sanctions on Sergei Lavrov’s stepdaughter – who was revealed to be living a luxury life in London.
Rishi Sunak Spring Statement
The Daily Express shares stories of “the anguish endured everyday by Britons struggling to survive the cost-of-living crisis” as the paper reports on the fallout from the Spring Statement.
The i claims the PM and the chancellor are at odds over the cost of living crisis. The paper says there is conflicting messages coming from the pair with the PM hinting more support is on the way but Rishi Sunak said he “can’t solve every problem.”
