Polish PM warns of "imminent war" in Europe, urges increase in defence spending

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has warned of an "imminent war" in Europe. He insisted that no one in Europe would feel safe if Russia defeated Ukraine. "I don't want to scare anyone, but war is no longer a concept of the past," he told European media on Friday evening.

Tusk, a former European Council president, used his first foreign interview since returning as Poland's prime minister late last year to make a direct appeal to Europe's leaders to do more to increase defence spending.

"We are living in the most critical moment since the end of the Second World War"

Tusk also made an urgent appeal for military aid for Ukraine, warning that the next two years of war would determine everything: ​ the Polish prime minister said.

His comments come after Russia stepped up its rocket attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. Tusk also noted that earlier this week Russia launched its first daylight attack on Kiev with hypersonic missiles.

Zelensky asks for US aid

Volodymyr Zelensky made a similar appeal to the US administration in an interview with the Washington Post on Friday. The Ukrainian president said that if the US continued to delay sending military aid, Ukraine would be forced to withdraw.

Former President Donald Trump's Republican Party is blocking a massive $60 billion aid package for Ukraine in the House of Representatives. "We have lost six months," said Zelensky. "We cannot lose any more time."

^{Wojtek Radwanski / AFP}