Poland ready to host US nukes on Putin's doorstep as Nato and Russia heading for nuclear showdown

Poland has announced it is ready to enter negotiations with the US about hosting nuclear weapons to strengthen Nato's eastern flank.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said he is looking for a positive relationship with both Republicans and Democrats in response to the latest threats from Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to local newspaper Fakt, the President said it is the "duty of the Polish authorities" to ensure the best possible relations between the US and Poland.

It comes as Rishi Sunak will announce a £500million uplift in military support for Ukraine on a visit to Poland later today.

\u200bPolish President Andrzej Duda, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin© GB News

President Duda said: "Russia is increasingly militarising Kaliningrad. Recently it has been relocating its nuclear weapons to Belarus.

"If our allies decide to deploy nuclear arms on our territory as part of nuclear sharing, to reinforce Nato's eastern flank, we are ready to do so.

"I've already talked about it several times. I must admit that when asked about it, I declared our readiness."

Asked about the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "The military will analyse the situation. If these plans are implemented, all necessary steps will be taken to ensure our security."

Sunak's visit to Poland to meet Prime Minister Donald Tusk is his first international trip for months and comes just hours after deadlock over his controversial Rwanda bill finally broke through.

He said: "Defending Ukraine against Russia's brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border.

"Ukraine's armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support - and they need it now. Today's package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia."

Britain will also send what it described as its largest-ever single package of equipment, including 60 boats, more than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles and nearly 4million rounds of small arms ammunition.

Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelensky© GB News

Earlier today, Russia's Belgorod region which borders Ukraine said that 120 civilians had been killed there in Ukrainian strikes and 651 people injured since the start of the war over two years ago.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said 11 children were among the dead and 51 children had been injured, some of them suffering amputations. 

Kyiv denies targeting civilians and says it has the right to strike Russia, though US officials are concerned that attacks on Russian territory could trigger an escalation of the war. Ukrainian proxies have repeatedly tried to pierce the border and push into Belgorod.

Russia says the use of Western weapons to attack Belgorod shows that the West is essentially already a party to the war, which has killed and injured many thousands of soldiers.