Blinken seeks common cause in Poland after Ukraine jitters

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday spoke to key ally Poland on ways to support Ukraine as Russian attacks and upcoming US elections raise new jitters.

The top US diplomat opened talks with Poland's leadership in Warsaw after an overnight train ride from Ukraine, where he paid a rare joint solidarity trip with Britain's new foreign secretary, David Lammy.

Blinken promised a quick review of Ukraine's request for permission to fire Western weapons deeper into Moscow, whose alleged acquisition of new short-range Iranian missiles is expected to free up its arsenal for more strikes.

He will also likely discuss an appeal on Wednesday by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga for neighbouring countries to help shoot down missiles over its western region.

President Joe Biden, who has been hesitant to take actions that risk triggering direct conflict between nuclear-armed Russia and the United States, will review the Ukrainian requests on Friday in a White House meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Russia has cast Western help for Ukraine as further justification for its 2022 attack on the former Soviet republic, which had been tilting toward the West.

"We haven't a doubt that the decision to lift restrictions on long-range weapons to attack the Russian Federation's territory was taken long ago," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

Blinken will meet separately in Warsaw with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda, bitter rivals on the direction of the European Union member.

While split on domestic policy, Poland, with its dark historical memories of Moscow, has shown unity in backing Ukraine since its invasion by Russia in 2022.

Poland has ramped up purchases of US weapons since the war, last month signing a deal with Boeing to buy 96 Apache attack helicopters for $10 billion.

Blinken hopes to use the final months of Biden's administration to work with allies to ensure broad and sustained support for Ukraine, which has received billions of dollars in Western military and economic support.

The November 5 US election could dramatically shift the stance of Ukraine's biggest backer, however, with Republican candidate Donald Trump declining to say in a debate on Tuesday whether he wants Ukraine to win.