The Times focuses, external on Donald Trump’s latest comments about the war in Ukraine.

Its headline quotes the US president, who said Vladimir Putin was “doing what anyone else would”, by intensifying his bombing campaign against Kyiv.

The paper highlights the international criticism of the relationship between the Russian leader and Trump, who said he finds it “easier” to deal with Moscow.

It also notes that the president has threatened Russia with “large scale sanctions” unless it agreed to a ceasefire.

Britain’s biggest trade unions will call on the government to forge closer ties with the EU, according to a report in the Guardian., external

The TUC will issue a joint statement amid what it calls an increasingly “volatile and unpredictable global economy”.

The paper notes that Sir Keir Starmer has spent his first months in No 10 laying the groundwork for a better relationship with Brussels, which has already intensified after the election of Trump.

The I paper warns, external that any potential reset with the bloc could force the UK to water down its animal welfare protections.

The previous government introduced a ban on exporting live animals which came into force in January. The paper says leading figures in the farming sector have urged the government to protect the ban, but ministers have made no promises.

More than £1bn has been spent on a new road tunnel between Kent and Essex despite construction work not yet starting, according to the Financial Times., external

The report uses figures from the National Highways Agency, which says the total expected cost of the Lower Thames Crossing has risen to somewhere between £9.5bn and just over £10bn.

The head of the Transport Action Network is quoted as saying the project needs to be cancelled. The government said it was “exploring options”.

The Daily Telegraph says, external “substantial” changes to electric car targets have been agreed by the government.

It says the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, made the announcement during a visit to Nissan’s headquarters in Japan, in an effort to address industry concerns and maintain the company’s presence in Britain.

Reynolds didn’t reveal any specific details, but is understood to have told Nissan bosses that “nothing is off the table”.

And a report in the Guardian says, external researchers have found that the songs birds sing can be influenced by their age, social interactions and migration.

The paper says a team from the University of Oxford recorded more than 100,000 songs during the three-year project, likening the different collections to manmade albums.