Weekend politics: Brexit getting personal, Trump about to wage war on N.Korea?

The weekend offered a relatively low-key political environment in respect to immediate opening prices at least. 

From America:

Pressure continues to mount for former national security adviser Michael Flynn to testify before Congress about possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. However, while President Donald Trump said palms this off as nothing but a "political muddle" and a witch hunt, he said on Sunday that the United States is prepared to act alone if China does not take a tougher stand against North Korea’s nuclear program; That could rustle a few feathers and could start to come to the fore in the shape of risk-off markets if tensions were to mount further. 

Mr. Trump’s comments came in an interview with the Financial Times and just days before  Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida. where they are expected to discuss a number of issues, including North Korea, trade and territorial disputes in the South China Sea during their meetings on Thursday and Friday. 

“Yes, we will talk about North Korea,” Mr. Trump told the newspaper for a story that appeared Sunday on its website. “And China has great influence over North Korea. And China will either decide to help us with North Korea, or they won’t. And if they do that will be very good for China, and if they don’t it won’t be good for anyone.” That sounds pretty hardline talk from Trump and if markets become concerned very suddenly about the South China Sea, trade relations and outright war, US fiscal policy and EU politics will the least of the market's concerns this year.

Brexit updates:

However, in respect to the EU, Brexit was officially triggered last week, so markets will be all eyes on the negotiations taking place.  

Despite, the president of the European Parliament warning Britain against any unilateral action, including trade talks, before it formalizes its departure, after serving written notice this week to negotiate its departure from the 28-country bloc, the UK's PM Theresa May is now free to find lucrative new markets for after Britain leaves the EU. May is said to start doing so this week. 

For example, Philip Hammond and Mark Carney will lead a delegation of top policymakers to India this week to “bang the drum for British business” as the UK seeks to strengthen ties outside the EU - Sunday Telegraph

"Cabinet ministers secretly agreed that Britain should put security on the table in Brexit talks, despite official Government denials, it is reported. There was “panic” from EU leaders about the impact the UK’s exit would have on security in the face of “increased Russian aggression”, according to The Sunday Telegraph. 

The Telegraph claimed there were leaked minutes of a Brexit Cabinet committee meeting on 7th March. The meeting's minutes showed that ministers identified the UK’s “very strong hand” on defense as a key advantage in negotiations. The disclosure comes after Boris Johnson attempted to play down a row triggered by Theresa May in her Article 50 letter to the European Council president, Donald Tusk, by claiming Britain’s support for EU security was “unconditional”. – Sky News

Spain's foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis interviewed in El Pais said over the weekend, in respect to an independent Scotland in the EU, that  "Initially, I don't think we would block it."

Brexit getting personal

Finally, and on a more personal note if you happen to be British, reporters at Europe's APR1 TV News station have reportedly seen a leaked document that came from a meeting between the EU Council's president Donald Tusk and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, and its bound to add further clarity to those doubting the EU's financial objectives of the European project.  The leak apparently shows plans that the EU will bill each every British citizen €500 t pay with three months of receipt of the bill, or else if Theresa May does not pay the UK's exit bill. 

Elsewhere from around the world:

Iraqi oil minister at Luaibi during the energy conference in Baghdad today 2 April said that Iraq pledges to comply 100% with oil output cut agreement.