Tusk told a government meeting that Warsaw “does not plan any expedition to Iran,” adding that the decision was understood by the United States and other allies.He said the position applied across Poland’s land, air and naval forces.

Tusk emphasized that Poland’s military posture remains oriented toward its immediate security environment, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict linked to Ukraine.

He noted that strengthening capabilities along Poland’s eastern flank continues to take precedence.Securing the Baltic Sea remains a central pillar of Poland’s defense strategy, he added, underscoring Warsaw’s focus on regional deterrence and stability rather than participation in operations farther afield.

The remarks come after Trump called on allied nations to contribute to efforts to safeguard shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy supplies that has faced attacks and threats attributed to Iranian forces during the third week of a U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.

Several U.S. allies, including Germany, Spain and Italy, have also indicated they have no immediate plans to deploy naval assets to the region, signaling broader reluctance within Europe to expand military involvement.

Poland’s stance reflects a wider recalibration among European states balancing alliance commitments with domestic security priorities, particularly as military resources remain tied to reinforcing defenses closer to home.

Speaking in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian specialists have already been deployed to several countries in the region to help assess defenses against kamikaze drones used by Iran.

Each Ukrainian team consists of dozens of experts tasked with analyzing local air-defense capabilities and demonstrating effective counter-drone strategies.

According to the Ukrainian leader, teams have been sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, while specialists have also visited a U.S. military base in Jordan. The deployments come as Gulf states face growing threats from Iranian “Shahed” kamikaze drones and have expended significant numbers of air-defense missiles trying to intercept them.

Ukraine has gained extensive experience countering such drones during its war with Russia. Ukrainian forces regularly intercept drones using a mix of air-defense systems, electronic jamming equipment, and smaller interceptor drones that provide a cheaper alternative to expensive missile systems.

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s assistance does not mean involvement in military operations against Iran. Instead, he described the mission as a defensive effort focused on sharing knowledge and conducting detailed evaluations of regional air-defense strategies.

“This is not about participating in operations. We are not at war with Iran,” Zelenskyy said, stressing that Ukraine’s role is limited to technical advice and strategic assessments on how to counter the Iranian-made Shahed drones.

He added that nearly a dozen countries worldwide have approached Ukraine seeking guidance on defending against drone attacks, reflecting Kyiv’s growing reputation in drone warfare and electronic defense.However, Zelenskyy made clear that Ukraine expects tangible benefits from its assistance.

“Honestly, for us today, both the technology and the funding are important,” he said, noting that discussions about what Ukraine will receive in return are still ongoing.

The Ukrainian president also said it remains uncertain whether Kyiv and the United States will finalize a long-discussed agreement on drone cooperation, negotiations for which have been underway for months.

As drone warfare becomes an increasingly central feature of modern conflicts, Ukraine’s battlefield experience is now positioning the country as an emerging global source of expertise in counter-drone defense.

Ihor Terekhov said the drone struck an area close to a residential building, causing damage to nearby property. Among those injured was a small child, he added.

The impact damaged vehicles and blew out windows in surrounding buildings, according to the mayor’s statement. Emergency services responded to the scene following the attack, which occurred in a city that has repeatedly come under Russian aerial strikes.

Kharkiv lies about 30 kilometres from the Russian border and has remained a frequent target since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In a separate incident, Russian shelling struck the southeastern city of Dnipro, injuring seven people, regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha said on the Telegram messaging platform.

Ganzha posted photographs online showing rubble scattered across streets and damage to building facades following the attack.

Kharkiv resisted early advances by Russian forces during the initial stages of the invasion and has since remained under periodic bombardment, particularly from missiles, drones and artillery launched from across the nearby border with Russia.

European countries more than tripled their arms imports in the 2021–2025 period compared with 2016–2020, according to the report from the Sweden-based research institute. The increase reflects efforts to supply Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s invasion and to rebuild European militaries after decades of relatively low defence spending.

“The sharp increase in arms flows to European states pushed global arms transfers up almost 10%,” said Mathew George, director of the institute’s Arms Transfers Programme.

Europe accounted for 33% of global arms imports during the period, a sharp rise from 12% in the previous five-year timeframe, the report showed.

The surge in European procurement followed Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which prompted governments across the continent to replenish stockpiles and modernise armed forces.

Military assistance to Kyiv and the need to restore national inventories after decades of reduced defence spending have driven demand for advanced systems, including aircraft and air-defence capabilities.

Despite expanding domestic production, European governments continued to purchase significant volumes of equipment from the United States, particularly combat aircraft and long-range air-defence systems, according to the data.

The figures highlight the continuing reliance of many European countries on American defence technology even as European governments seek to strengthen their own defence industries.

Arms imports by Middle Eastern states declined by 13% during the same five-year period, although the region remains a major buyer of military equipment.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar ranked among the four largest individual arms importers globally.Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at the institute, said the decline mainly reflected large Saudi procurement orders placed in the previous reporting period that are still being integrated into the country’s military inventory.

He added that many governments in the region had already placed new orders before the latest escalation involving the United States, Israel and Iran, meaning the impact of those purchases is not yet fully reflected in the figures.

Wezeman said the current regional conflict is likely to boost demand further, particularly for anti-missile and air-defence systems.

“They will first replace what they have used, but also that they are going to look at buying more equipment to protect themselves even better than they can do now,” he said.

On the supply side, the United States increased its share of the global arms export market to 42%, up from 36% in the previous period, reinforcing its position as the world’s leading weapons exporter.

France ranked as the second-largest supplier with 9.8% of global arms exports.

Russia saw its share fall sharply to 6.8% from 21% following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to the report.Combined European arms exports accounted for 28% of the global market, a figure roughly four times larger than Russia’s share and five times greater than that of China, underscoring Europe’s growing role in the international defence trade.

Oil shipments through the pipeline to Slovakia and Hungary via Ukraine have been halted since late January after Kyiv said a Russian strike sparked a fire that seriously damaged the line. Ukrainian authorities have said repairs cannot be completed quickly.The disruption has triggered one of the most serious disputes between Kyiv and its two European Union neighbours since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Pressure over EU loan to UkraineFico said he would raise the issue with von der Leyen during a meeting in Paris and push for technical experts to assess the damaged pipeline. In a video posted on Facebook, he warned Slovakia could block a major European Union loan to Ukraine if oil flows are not restored.“Blocking this huge military gift to Ukraine is a legitimate tool to achieve the restoration of oil supplies,” Fico said.Hungary has already vetoed new EU sanctions on Russia and a proposed 90-billion-euro loan package intended to support Ukraine.

Dispute over responsibility for delaysSlovakia and Hungary, both EU members that still import Russian oil and maintain ties with Moscow, have accused Ukraine of deliberately slowing the pipeline restart for political reasons. Ukrainian officials say the damage to the infrastructure makes a quick repair impossible.The European Commission said on Friday it was examining possible ways to help restore Druzhba oil flows, including potential financial assistance.Political tensions across the regionThe dispute has also affected bilateral relations between Slovakia and Ukraine.

Slovakia has already halted emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine during the standoff.Tensions are unfolding as Hungary approaches a closely contested election next month, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has led the country for 16 years, making the war in Ukraine a central issue in his campaign.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow deployed 480 drones and 29 missiles in strikes that targeted energy infrastructure and railway networks across the country.“There should be a response from partners to these savage strikes against life,” Zelenskiy said in a message posted on the Telegram messaging platform. He added that Russia continued attempts to damage residential areas and critical infrastructure and urged international partners to sustain air defence and weapons support.Deadly strike in Kharkiv.

According to Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov, seven people were killed when a Russian ballistic missile struck a five-storey residential building in the city.Two of the victims were children, Syniehubov said. Emergency teams continued rescue operations at the site, working through debris to search for possible survivors and clear the rubble.Local authorities reported that several apartment buildings, administrative offices and commercial properties sustained damage during the attacks.Infrastructure damage reportedSyniehubov said seven residential apartment buildings in Kharkiv were damaged along with electricity distribution lines and vehicles parked nearby.Elsewhere in the country, Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes targeted four railway stations and additional railway infrastructure in central regions, affecting transport operations.The attacks also hit port infrastructure in the southern Odesa region, where containers filled with vegetable oil caught fire and a grain warehouse was damaged.

Continued pressure on infrastructureUkrainian authorities said the strikes appeared aimed at disrupting energy supply systems and transportation routes that are critical for civilian logistics and the movement of goods.Rail networks and port facilities have been frequent targets during the conflict as they play a central role in Ukraine’s domestic supply chains and export routes.Officials said damage assessments were ongoing while emergency crews and infrastructure teams worked to restore services and contain fires caused by the overnight attacks.