President Duda: it's crucial to provide modern weapons to Ukraine

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Duda said Poland was afraid Russia was preparing for a new offensive against Ukraine "in a few months" and that current support from allies might not be enough to defend against it.

"Russia is not defeating (defeated) they are still - Russians - they are still very strong, there is a lot of Russian soldiers on the frontline and we are afraid that they are preparing, now they are preparing themselves to (for) the new offensive in a few months probably. So this is crucial, to send now additional military support to Ukraine especially modern tanks, especially modern missiles, to defend Ukraine, but first of all to stop Russian offensive," Polish president said.

"Is it (Western support) enough? This is the question. I'm afraid it's not, that this assistance we've just sent to Ukraine is still not enough. Ukraine needs more (of) our efforts, needs more (of) our aid, and we should mobilise ourselves to help them, because the situation is really difficult and I'm afraid, now it is and it will be in a few, maybe months, maybe weeks, (the) next crucial moments of this war," Duda added.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that the United States shared Poland's concerns about the close military cooperation between Belarus and Russia, but added he did not have any indication Minsk intends to cross into Ukraine.

Western allies will meet at the Ramstein air base in Germany on Friday (January 20) with the focus on whether Berlin will allow its Leopard battle tanks to be supplied to Kyiv to help drive out Russian forces.

Almost 11 months since Russia invaded its neighbour, Moscow's forces hold swathes of Ukraine's east and south. The battlefield momentum has been with Kyiv for months, but Moscow has expended huge resources to try to advance in the east.