Ukraine-Russia war: Poland warns of firm NATO reaction after drone incursions

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Poland warns ‘we may need to react firmly’ against Moscow after drone incursions

'Old friends' Xi and Putin to meet over tea, enjoy a banquet and sign a series of bilateral commitments

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has warned that Nato may need to “react firmly” to Russia’s war in Ukraine after a drone incursion in Lithuania.

He told a news conference on Wednesday: "I want to repeat, and ⁠fortunately I am not alone today, that the Ukrainian-Russian war may soon lead to a ‌situation where we ​will have ‌to react ⁠firmly.”

Nato scrambled fighter jets in response to reports of a drone incursion in Lithuania. The country’s defence ministry said the drone flew near to Vilnius, pursued by warplanes, as the army told people to take shelter and closed the airport.

It comes as Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Wednesday that relations between their countries were at an “unprecedentedly high level”, as the two discussed wider economic cooperation and foreign issues.

Speaking on a visit to Beijing, the Russian president called Xi a “dear friend” and noted their longstanding relationship on trade, saying turnover has increased more than 30 times in the last 25 years.

Putin insisted that Russia and China play a “stabilising” role on the world stage as the pair signed a joint statement for comprehensive strategic coordination.

EU remains committed to sanctions on importing Russian oil and gas

The European Union remains committed to its sanctions ⁠on imports of Russian oil and gas, the EU ⁠Commission ​said on ⁠Wednesday in response ⁠to Britain's decision to ​allow ⁠imports of ‌diesel and jet fuel refined abroad from ‌Russian crude ‌under a sanctions carve-out.

"We reaffirm ⁠our commitment to our sanctions on imports of Russian oil and gas, and we reiterate ‌our desire ​that Russia does ‌not benefit ⁠from the ⁠war," a commission spokesperson ‌said.

Bryony Gooch20 May 2026 12:07

The Independent View: Trump and Putin agree on one thing – Xi is key to ending their wars in Iran and Ukraine

Editorial: The leaders of both declining superpowers have headed to Beijing stuck in conflicts they started but cannot finish – giving China a chance to build a role in the world where it actively works for peace rather than against it:

Xi is key to ending the wars in Iran and Ukraine

Editorial: The leaders of both declining superpowers have headed to Beijing stuck in conflicts they started but cannot finish – giving China a chance to build a role in the world where it actively works for peace rather than against it

James Reynolds20 May 2026 12:00

Hungary's Magyar hopes to meet Zelensky in June after talks on minority rights

Hungary's prime minister Peter Magyar said on Wednesday ⁠that he hoped current talks with Ukraine about the rights ⁠of ​the ⁠ethnic Hungarian minority there would ⁠close successfully and ​he ⁠could meet ‌president Volodymyr Zelensky in June in western ‌Ukraine.

Magyar also told ‌a briefing after meeting Polish ⁠prime minister Donald Tusk in Poland that Ukraine had its right to protect its territorial integrity ‌with all possible ​means, and the ‌war should be ended ‌as soon as ‌possible, ‌with a ‌lasting peace guaranteed ‌internationally.

Bryony Gooch20 May 2026 11:40

Poland's Tusk says NATO may face situation where it needs to react firmly to Russia

Russia's war in Ukraine may lead to a ⁠situation in which Poland and its Nato allies ⁠have ​to react strongly, ⁠Polish prime minister Donald ⁠Tusk said ​on Wednesday, after ⁠Lithuania issued ‌an "air danger" warning due to a ‌drone violating its ‌airspace.

"I want to repeat, and ⁠fortunately I am not alone today, that the Ukrainian-Russian war may soon lead to a ‌situation where we ​will have ‌to react ⁠firmly," Tusk ⁠told a news conference.

Bryony Gooch20 May 2026 11:34

UK defends decision to relax sanctions on Russian crude oil

The UK government has been forced to defend its decision to relax sanctions on Russian crude oil, as its accused of “letting down” Ukrainians.

The government has announced it will now to allow for the import of jet fuel and diesel refined in third countries amid surging costs.

Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson told Sky News that the government needed to make sure it was “protecting the UK national interest”.

He said: “What we have to do as a government is make sure that we’re protecting the UK national interest, making sure that this impact of conflicts that wash up on our shore, that we’re protecting individual families.”

But chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Dame Emily Thornberry told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that people of Ukraine have been “very let down” by the decision.

“We are talking about our allies in Ukraine who have been fighting a war bravely against Russia for years and years with our support,” she said.

“They have looked to Britain as one of their most important allies, and they don’t understand, given that we promised that we would stop this loophole in October, and we still haven’t done it. In fact, it seems to have got worse. People feel very let down.”

Athena Stavrou20 May 2026 11:30

In depth: The harsh economic reality for Putin as he tries to upstage Trump in China

As Vladimir Putin goes on a charm offensive with his 25th visit to President Xi Jinping just days after Donald Trump was in Beijing, James C. Reynolds takes a closer look at the economic realities facing all three countries as they jostle for power on the world stage:

The harsh economic reality for Putin as he tries to upstage Trump in China

As Vladimir Putin goes on a charm offensive with his 25th visit to President Xi Jinping just days after Donald Trump was in Beijing, James C. Reynolds take a closer look at the economic realities facing all three countries as they jostle for power on the world stage

James Reynolds20 May 2026 11:00

Recap: Lithuania tells people to shelter due to drone incursion

Lithuania on Wednesday issued an "air danger" warning asking people to take shelter and suspended traffic at the capital's airport due to a drone violating the country's airspace, the latest in a series of security incidents in the Baltic region.

The Nato and European Union member state suspended ⁠train traffic in the Vilnius region, while schools ​and ⁠kindergartens were told to bring children to shelters during the incident, which lasted for nearly an hour.

"Immediately take shelter in a safe place, take care ⁠of your close ones, await new recommendations," Lithuania's army said in a message sent ​to ⁠people in the capital Vilnius.

Air and train ‌traffic have since resumed, but air warnings were still in place for some parts of the country.

A warning was also issued in the Vilnius parliament building, where ‌parliamentarians and ministers were present.

Bryony Gooch20 May 2026 10:49

Russia flexes nuclear might during drills in Belarus

Russia has shared what it said was footage of troops delivering nuclear warheads to mobile Iskander-M launch systems, loading them and moving them undetected to launch sites as part of a major nuclear exercise.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had practised bringing units to "the highest levels of combat readiness for the use of nuclear weapons" during three days of drills across Russia and Belarus.

They said on Tuesday that the drills, which involve 64,000 military personnel, over 200 missile launchers, 140 aircraft, 73 surface ships and 13 submarines, would include rehearsing launch procedures for Russian tactical nuclear weapons based in Belarus.

With a range of up to 500 km (310 miles), the Iskander-M can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads.

James Reynolds20 May 2026 10:30

Watch: Putin arrives in China with ‘serious expectations’ for Xi summit

James Reynolds20 May 2026 10:00

Air warning in Lithuania has ended

Lithuania’s army says the air warning has ended, following a reported drone incursion into its airspace.

They add that they are still unclear on where the drone came from.

James Reynolds20 May 2026 09:55