Europe marks VE Day with Trump on its mind

34 minutes ago Share Save Katya Adler • @BBCkatyaadler Europe Editor Share Save

BBC Parisian women smile in May 1945 after Germany's capitulation was signed the previous day

"Celebration? What celebration? It feels more like a funeral" - the damning words of a former senior Nato figure to describe this week's ceremonies marking Victory in Europe Day. The top-level diplomat who spent years at the transatlantic defence alliance asked not to be named in order to speak freely, but why so nihilistic? VE Day was a joint Allied triumph over Nazi Germany; over hatred, dictatorship, the Third Reich's territorial expansionism and heinous crimes against humanity. So much blood was spilled achieving that victory. Some 51 million Allied soldiers and civilians died during World War Two, united in a pursuit to rid the world of the scourge of Nazism. But 80 years on, we're surrounded by countless news and academic analyses breathlessly singling out Donald Trump as the modern day nail in the coffin of the strong transatlantic bonds forged back then. In Europe, the American president is viewed by many as the slayer-in-chief of decades-old common values; shared visions of security, democracy and rule of law. But is that accurate, or too simplistic?

Russia - divisions from the start

To get the full picture on what happened to allied ties after WW2, we cannot omit Russia, then or now. By 1945, about 24 million Russians and other Soviets had been slaughtered in the war with Germany. Without their sacrifice, as well as that of the other allies, the Nazis would not have been vanquished. "One thing we need to recognise, though, is Russia was never a true friend of the West," says Michael Zantovsky, a former Czech Ambassador to Washington and to London. "During WW2 it was an ally for existential reasons. It needed any help [against the Nazis] that it could get. And it was the same story with western powers, to be fair. They needed the help of the Soviet Union. But Russia did not plan on continuing the alliance after the war. As soon as the threat of Nazi Germany was destroyed, the Soviet Union intended to follow its own objectives." Splits appeared the moment Germany was defeated; there was even a disagreement over which day VE Day fell. Western powers witnessed the signing of Germany's military capitulation in the French cathedral city of Reims, news that broke on 8 May 1945. The USSR wanted its own, separate, signing with surrendering Germany in Soviet-occupied Berlin a day later. Russia marks VE Day on 9 May to this day. Depending where you are in Europe on VE Day, the mood is varied - particularly this year. Western Europe welcomes liberty, democracy and an end to the Nazi threat. In the UK for example, multiple VE Day celebrations are planned this year, as with every year. But people living in central and eastern Europe, such as Czechoslovakia, emerged from Nazi occupation in 1945 only to end up under Communist regimes - whether they liked it or not. As a result, Ambassador Zantovsky describes his country's relationship to VE Day as "ambiguous". "The western part of Czechoslovakia was liberated by US troops, the rest of the country by Soviet soldiers," he tells me. Czechoslovakia was taken over by the Communist Party in 1948 and fully invaded by the Soviet Union two decades later. "During communist times, the West's role in WW2 was deliberately suppressed and marginalised. We were told we owed our liberty [from the Nazis] to the Soviets." Russia marks VE Day with triumphalist military parades - and President Vladimir Putin knows the deep sense of nationalist pride that Russians still feel at defeating the Nazi regime in 1945. It is no coincidence that he publicly labels Ukraine's leadership "Nazis" as a means of besmirching them in Russian eyes.

Getty Images The West is grappling with a new reality while Russia's war continues, with a Ukraine activist seen here at a VE Day gathering in Germany in 2023

For VE Day this year, President Putin called a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine – it's presumed, because he wants to concentrate, uninterrupted, on showing off Russia's military muscle in front of a crowd of foreign dignitaries, including President Xi Jinping of China. The official reason Putin gave for the Ukraine ceasefire was "humanitarian grounds". Quite the irony, since he's the one who ordered the invasion of that sovereign country. That invasion brought back difficult memories for Czechs of their own occupation and suppression. "That's why we feel so strongly for Ukraine," says Zantovsky. "It's only a few hundred kilometres away. Our sense of security is threatened once again."

The US - a marriage of convenience

This is why most Europeans are so shocked at President Trump's apparent respect for, even deference towards, Putin, while simultaneously verbally threatening the territorial integrity of traditionally close allies like Canada and Denmark. Europe has viewed the US as its closest friend since WW2. Washington poured money into the war-shattered continent in the late 1940s - including West Germany, which was ever thankful to the US for bringing it back into the fold after the horrors of Nazism. The US also gave Europe post-war security guarantees; Nato was founded in 1949. But this wasn't American altruism, as Trump implies. It too was a marriage of convenience, of sorts. Following WW2, the US worried about the spread of communism. It fretted that Europe, with its economy and infrastructure in tatters, was vulnerable both to home-grown communist parties and abroad from an expansionist Soviet Union. By swooping in to help rebuild Europe, the US was gaining a geostrategic foothold on the Soviet Union's doorstep throughout the Cold War. The idea of a "West" - made of countries sharing security goals and values - was born.

Getty Images A march of mourning organised by Ukrainian activists to commemorate the millions of Ukrainians who died during World War Two, on VE Day in 2023

Might we now be witnessing its death, or gradual strangulation? With no common enemy anymore, the friendship is certainly fraying. In 2025, the president of the United States no longer feels threatened by Russia. "Shared history served as the foundation for the (transatlantic) relationship for eight decades, but it's not enough to propel the relationship forward anymore," Washington's former Nato ambassador Julie Smith told me. The war in Ukraine is the biggest conflict in Europe since WW2. With Russia's economy resolutely on a war footing, it has the potential to spread. Europe, unlike the US, still feels threatened by Russia. Capitals across the continent have been left speechless and nervous by Trump appearing to blame Ukraine, not Moscow, for the bloodshed. The televised press conference in the White House Oval Office in late February, where Trump and his deputy, JD Vance, seemingly tried to bait, berate and humiliate Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, was a turning point in European public opinion and politics. A YouGov poll in March indicated that, 80 years on from VE Day, a large majority of Western Europeans (78% in the UK, 74% in Germany, 75% in Spain) now view the White House as a big threat to peace and security in Europe. In Europe's east, the Soviet Union's former sphere of influence, people fear President Trump's attitude to Ukraine will only embolden President Putin in his expansionist drive. If Russia gets US recognition for "crimes of conquest" in Ukraine, says historian and author Timothy Garton Ash, VE Day this year would be better labelled DE Day - Defeat in Europe Day. And with Trump frequently accusing Europe of free-loading, and taking advantage of the US, there's a nervousness among leaders across the continent that they could be left alone to defend themselves for the first time since WW2. Boosting defence spending is now a huge topic in European capitals.

The message Berlin has taken from Trump's first 100 days in office is: "We cannot rely on the US anymore," says Peter Wittig, Germany's former ambassador to Washington. That's a massive turnaround for Germans, who have been reluctant to rebuild their country's military might after WW2. Instead, Germany leant particularly heavily on the US for its security. A large chunk of the estimated 100,000 US troops stationed in Europe are based in Germany. The US stores nuclear arms in the country too. The Trump-shock among normally pro-US German politicians is so profound that it prompted a change in the country's constitution this spring. Parliamentarians voted to lift Berlin's long established debt brake - which limited government spending - in order to invest heavily and power up the country's military going forward. Ursula von der Leyen, once German's defence minister, is now the president of the European Commission in Brussels. She is transatlantic-leaning and carefully-spoken, but even she summed up the present situation starkly: "The West as we knew it, no longer exists."

'The end of an era' - but what now?

Matthew Chattle/Future Publishing/Getty Images London is preparing for VE Day - but some in Europe feel less jubilant this year

Teen mental health: When to seek help and what parents can do

13 minutes ago Share Save Nick Triggle • @nicktriggle Health correspondent Share Save

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Lucy says she's always been a bit of worrier, but two years ago she began to get anxious and started having panic attacks. "I didn't know what was happening and my parents didn't either," says the 15-year-old. "It was scary. The attacks would occur without warning. It got worse and I began to have them in public." Lucy started missing a lot of school and stopped socialising. She says it was hard for her parents to see her struggling. "We didn't know what to do or where to go." For six months, she tried to manage her anxiety herself, but eventually the family decided to pay for a talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy. Lucy says it has made a huge difference. While she still has panic attacks, they are much less frequent and she is back attending school and doing the things she enjoys. Lucy's story is far from unique. NHS figures suggest one in five children and young people aged eight to 25 has a probable mental health disorder.

Why problems are so common

The teenage years are when problems become increasingly common as young people grapple with the challenges of growing up, exam stresses, and friendships and relationships.

There are biological reasons too that make emotional health problems more likely, says Prof Andrea Danese, an expert in child and adolescent psychiatry at King's College London. "Teenagers' brains don't develop all at once. The part that processes emotions matures earlier than the part responsible for self-control and good judgement. This means young people can feel things very intensely before they've fully developed the ability to manage those feelings, which helps explain some of the emotional ups and downs parents often see." The zenith, he says, is adolescence, when emotional reactions are further heightened by hormones and changes to the internal body clock which impact sleeping patterns.

When and how to help

So, what constitutes normal emotional challenges - and when should teens and their parents be worried and consider seeking professional help? Prof Danese says he understands why many find this difficult to judge. He considers the following as normal teenage emotional traits: Periodic irritability and moodiness

Occasional social withdrawal or desire for privacy

Anxiety about social acceptance or academic performance

Experimenting with identity and independence

Emotional reactions that seem disproportionate Providing these are not interfering too much with daily activities, parents should feel able to support their children, he believes. The most common problems teenagers experience are low mood and anxiety. For low mood, Prof Danese says, maintaining healthy routines around eating, sleeping, being active and keeping in touch with friends and family is important as is planning activities that your child enjoys, such as trips out or playing a sport. "And help them identify, break down and try out solutions for problems that may have arisen," he adds. For anxiety, calming techniques are helpful, he says. These can include breathing exercises, grounding, whereby you concentrate on the environment around you and what you can see, touch and smell, and mindfulness activities. "It's important to avoid the trap of providing unnecessary reassurance," Prof Danese says. Instead, alongside teaching calming techniques, parents should discuss and test out feared situations. "To reduce worries, it can help to write them down or talk about them at a special 'worry time' once a day."

Building resilience

Stevie Goulding, who runs the parent helpline for Young Minds, says anxiety is the issue they get the most calls about. "Many children will have bouts of anxiety and even panic attacks. It's difficult for parents. They can easily find themselves lacking in confidence and judgement about what to do. We get lots of calls from parents in that position. When they see their child struggling it can make them question themselves and they just don't know where to turn. "The main advice we give parents is to communicate with their children. Give them permission to talk about what is bothering them – and if they don't want to talk to them, ask if there is someone else they would prefer to talk to." Ms Goulding also recommends talking to your child's school as they may have noticed things too. But she adds: "Children need to be given space – avoid the temptation to rush in and try to fix things. Just reflect what they are saying and listen."

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Child psychologist Dr Sandi Mann agrees, saying parents have an understandable temptation to want to resolve whatever issue their child is facing when that is not necessarily the best solution. She says instead parents should help teach and build resilience in their children – and has written about this for the BBC. She recommends parents: Explain setbacks happen to everybody, giving examples of things that have gone wrong in your own life

Embrace mistakes

Empower them to make their own decisions, stressing they are largely responsible for their own happiness

Challenge their beliefs, particularly black-and-white thinking and catastrophising "I think we sometimes can create the impression that children and young people are not able to solve their own problems when we are rushing them to get help or turning to medication."

Signs professional help is needed

Digital powerhouse Uber now accepts cash for fares

29 minutes ago Share Save Kevin Peachey Cost of living correspondent Share Save

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Taxi app giant Uber is now allowing passengers across most of the UK to pay in cash. Following trials, the cash payment option was this week extended to all UK cities, except London, where it is being reviewed. But individual drivers can still opt out of accepting notes and coins, partly if they are worried about safety of carrying them in their vehicles. The move came as a major report suggested shops and services might need to be forced to accept cash in the future to protect those who rely on it.

On Wednesday, the Treasury Committee of MPs stopped short of recommending mandated cash acceptance now, but said its report was "a wake-up call" to government on the issue.

Ways to pay

Uber has become a huge company and dominates the global ride-hailing market, as well as operating in a host of other transport sectors. Its rapid ascent has come with controversy and protests from other taxi providers. Its success has been based around new technology, but meant customers needed cashless payments to use its services. Following pilots in Birmingham, Stoke, Nottingham and Leicester, Uber said it has now extended the option of paying in cash to other UK cities, because some people preferred paying in cash or did not have a bank card. "We believe that movement should be accessible to everyone, so following successful pilots in some UK cities over the last 18 months, we have decided to give passengers outside of London the option to pay for trips with cash," a spokesman said. Passengers can select cash as their payment option on the app. Drivers can opt out in preferences on their own app. If they do not have enough change, that is given as a credit to the passenger by Uber. The cash option is being reviewed by authorities in London, and remains unavailable for Uber Eats or booking for other forms of transport via the Uber app.

Tracing payments danger

Cash campaigner Ron Delnevo from the Payment Choice Alliance said Uber's move "demonstrates that they now believe in the future of cash in the UK", and brought the company's operations in the UK in line with many other countries. He called on the government to introduce a law that would force all shops and services to accept cash. Ministers have said there are no plans to introduce such rules. However, the Treasury Committee's recent report did highlight various groups who relied on cash, including some people with learning disabilities and those who use cash to keep to a budget.

Sam Smethers says cash can be an escape route from abusive partners

Conclave author says papal selection is like The Traitors

Just now Share Save Mark Easton Home editor Share Save

BBC Robert Harris published Conclave in 2016, which has since been made into an award-winning film

The bestselling novelist Robert Harris says a conclave to select a new Pope has a similar dynamic to hit TV show The Traitors. The author of Conclave, which was last year turned into an Oscar-winning film adaptation, said the programme - in which "faithful" contestants are tasked with trying to work out the "traitors" among them - was "the nearest analogy I can come to". "Suddenly everyone swings to one person - you can't see why, particularly, but it happens," he tells BBC News ahead of the election to replace Pope Francis, due to begin next week. "And in a funny way, a similar dynamic does operate in a conclave, which is why often it produces a surprise."

Conclave author says novel has parallels with The Traitors

But Harris argues that it is a process UK political parties should learn from. The writer argues his book and the subsequent film illustrates how the ancient, secretive ritual in the Sistine Chapel is a "rather brilliant device" for finding the right person to lead an organisation. Only male cardinals under the age of 80 are entitled to participate. The voting is conducted in total privacy, with the news of a decision announced by white smoke emerging from a chimney on the chapel's roof. Political parties throwing the election of their leaders open to the wider membership "has not produced very good results", Harris says. He says it would be better if a select number "who have seen the candidates close up, day in, day out, choose who the leader should be". He continues: "To lock the door and say you're not going to come out until you've come up with a result concentrates the mind - and if you look back, the popes have been pretty good. "I didn't come away from researching the novel thinking this is a terrible idea [and that] I must write a novel to expose how awful it is. In a way, the novel shows a conclave working."

Getty Images The only sign of how the conclave is progressing is the colour of smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel after votes

However, the Fatherland and Archangel author thinks it is strange that women are excluded from the Catholic priesthood and the election for a new Pope. "Can any sophisticated religion, with such a huge following, really go on and on into the future with such a secondary, demeaning role for women?" he asks. "I mean, it just seems odd. Would Christ really have only wanted his word to be spread by men?" Harris says the character of Sister Agnes - a nun who speaks out during a crucial moment in his fictitious conclave - was a "vital" creation. "I wanted to find some way of getting the female voice in this process, and the only way is the women who serve the meals, clean the rooms and run the hostel when the cardinals are there," he explains. "I really wanted to make them a part of the story." Harris says that, while researching his novel about conclave, Pope Francis's office gave him permission to visit parts of the Vatican generally off-limits to outsiders. "They showed me the most extraordinary things and allowed me to walk along the corridor to the balcony where the new Pope shows himself to the huge crowd in St Peter's Square," he recounts. "That was a breathtaking moment."

Getty Images (L-R) Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini and Stanley Tucci starred in the film adaptation of Harris' novel

Five men arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences

Counter-terrorism police have arrested five men on suspicion of terrorism offences, the Metropolitan Police said.

Four Iranian nationals - two aged 29, one aged 40 and one aged 46 - were arrested in various locations around England on Saturday as part of a "pre-planned operation", the force said.

The nationality and age of the fifth man is still being established, it added.

The investigation relates to a "suspected plot to target a specific premises", the Met said, adding for operational reasons it cannot provide further information at this time.