The three-year-long war is now at a critical juncture for Kyiv after Trump suspended US military aid as well as access to satellite imagery and intelligence-sharing following his public falling-out with Zelenskyy last week.

The United States has confirmed talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia next week aimed at establishing a peace framework leading to an end to the three-year-long Ukraine-Russia war.

Russia has said its troops had retaken three villages seized by Ukraine in its Kursk border region in a fresh setback for Ukraine as the prospect of peace talks draws closer.

Following Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, Poland already spends more than 4% of its GDP on defence. Last year, it spent the equivalent of 4.1% of its GDP on defence and plans to raise that to 4.7% this year.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday dismissed as "garbage" accusations that Washington had taken a pro-Russia stance, saying President Donald Trump was pursuing a peaceful end to Russia's three-year-old invasion of Ukraine.