Europe watches as Trump’s threats escalate

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.4 • 204 Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2026

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Donald Trump’s threats to wipe out Iran’s “whole civilization” shocked the world. On the podcast today, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart, POLITICO’s senior EU politics editor, discuss the European reaction as the conflict in the Middle East spirals. Plus, NATO chief Mark Rutte is in Washington to meet the U.S. president, but what does he hope to achieve with so little consensus within the alliance? Next, we obtained documents that reveal the extent to which Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán is deepening ties with Russia. An agreement signed between the two countries last year includes cooperation in a diverse range of areas from energy to circus arts. Zoya and Ian discuss what implications, if any, these revelations could have for the upcoming election in Hungary. Finally, Australia has been trying to limit the use of social media for the under-16s — and it wants Brussels’ help to get Big Tech to comply. If you have questions or comments, you can reach us on our WhatsApp here or by dialing +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Now, are all the traitors present?
0:02.5	Let's get started, shall we?
0:04.5	From rags to riches.
0:05.8	I'm so sick of this.
0:07.0	Working like a dog and being treated worse.
0:09.1	Yorkshire to New York.
0:10.7	Poor climbers, you and me.
0:12.4	A life dedicated to revenge.
0:14.4	Let's make this an occasion to remember.
0:16.9	A woman of substance on Channel 4.
0:19.1	Stream now.
0:19.8	Good morning. It's Wednesday, April 8, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast.
0:30.5	The vibe in Brussels today is watchful as Donald Trump issues a stark threat to Iran.
0:36.7	And also on the pod, Hungary's election campaign is getting even more dirty.
0:41.6	And Australia wants Europe to follow its lead on social media use for kids.
0:47.2	I'm Zoya Shafdanovich, and with me today is Ian Wishart. Hey, Ian.
0:50.4	Morning, Zoya.
0:51.3	It's been quite a wild ride over the last few hours.
0:55.5	It was quite a jolt to see the US president do a social media post yesterday afternoon
1:01.4	saying a whole civilization will die tonight.
1:04.1	It's quite sobering, isn't it?
1:05.6	It is a bit sobering, not quite the lighthearted, good vibes that we're used to on this pod, but sometimes you've got
	...

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