Poland has begun building a £1.9billion ‘East Shield’ along its borders with Russia and Belarus, in an effort to protect NATO’s eastern flank as tensions simmer amid the war in Ukraine. The 400-mile-long construction will include anti-tank fortifications, bunkers and other obstacles built to physically defend the border and control movement at a time when US support for Europe’s defence is expected to wane as Donald Trump takes office in January. Trump, who last week won the US presidential election, has repeatedly said he would ‘end’ Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on his first day in office, adding that he also plans on cutting aid to Kyiv, despite the US being a top financial and military backer. His team has also reportedly considered the idea of creating an 800-mile buffer zone across the front line that would be marshalled by EU and UK troops.