Poland has issued a blunt warning to NATO allies as the war in Ukraine sparks fears of a global conflict.

The country’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the war is entering a “decisive phase” and added a grim three word prognosis – that the threat of a global conflict is “serious and real.”

He said: “The war in the east is entering a decisive phase; we feel that the unknown is approaching.

“The conflict is taking on dramatic proportions. The last few dozen hours have shown that the threat is serious and real when it comes to global conflict.”

His comments came after Ukraine was given the green light to fire British and American missiles into Russian territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin responded with a huge ballistic missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, and has warned that Moscow has new missiles that are “ready to be used.”

He added: “The tests [of the missile system] have passed successfully, and I congratulate you all on that.

“As has been said already, we’ll be continuing these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and nature of threats being posed to Russia’s security, especially considering that we have enough of such items, such systems ready for use in stock.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the world needs to form a “serious response” to Putin’s missile strike.

After the UK allowed Ukraine to use British missiles to strike Russia, the Kremlin said Britain is now “directly” involved in the war.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted the country is not at war with Russia on Friday.

He told BBC local media: “We’re not at war, but Ukraine certainly is. That war has now been going on for just over 1,000 days. That is why we’ve said consistently that we stand by Ukraine. We cannot allow Putin to win this war.”

The Prime Minister added: “Russia is the aggressor. This war could end today if Putin stopped being the aggressor.

“It’s not just a matter of sovereignty in Ukraine; this is about our rights and our freedoms. That is why I’m proud of the fact that UK […] has been steadfast in our support for Ukraine.”