Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told Congress at a Thursday hearing that the Pentagon's 2024 budget request will help the country prepare for a future war with China. Milley insisted the Pentagon's massive...
US Sails Warship Near Chinese-Controlled Islands in the South China Sea
On Thursday, the US sailed a warship near the Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands in the South China Sea amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing in the region. China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) said it drove away the guided-missile destroyer USS...
Turkish Parliament Committee Approves Bill Ratifying Finland’s NATO Membership
The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee has approved a bill that would ratify Finland's NATO membership after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would approve bringing Helsinki into the alliance without Sweden. Turkey's full parliament, the...
Zelensky Tells Europe Give More Weapons and Add Sanctions on Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday demanded that European countries provide more military aid and add more sanctions on Russia, warning that not doing so would prolong the war. Zelensky said in a virtual address to EU leaders that they should provide...
AFRICOM Says African Coup Leaders Share ‘Core Values’ With US Military
Gen. Michael Langley, the head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), was grilled by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Thursday about African soldiers who received US military training and went on to carry out coups. Langley insisted only a "very small number" of Africans who...
World Bank Says Ukraine’s Reconstruction Will Cost at Least $411 Billion
The World Bank said in a new report that Ukraine's reconstruction will cost at least $411 billion over the next ten years, a number that will rise as the war drags on. The report said the $411 billion figure should be seen as a "minimum as needs will continue to rise...
Report: Saudi Arabia Agrees to Establish Ties With Syria
Saudi Arabia and Syria have agreed to establish ties and reopen their embassies after over a decade of not having formal diplomatic relations, Reuters reported on Thursday. Unnamed sources told Reuters that contacts between Riyadh and Damascus gained momentum...
Senate Votes Down Sen. Rand Paul’s Resolution to Repeal 2001 AUMF
The Senate on Wednesday voted down an amendment introduced by Sen. Rand Paul to repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that was passed in the wake of the September 11 attacks to invade Afghanistan and is still used to justify wars today....
China Hits Back at US Criticism of Ukraine Peace Efforts
China on Wednesday hit back at US criticism of Beijing's efforts to push for peace talks to end the fighting in Ukraine as Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his three-day visit to Moscow. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday...
US, South Korea to Hold ‘Largest-Ever’ Live-Fire Drills in June
South Korea's Defense Ministry said Wednesday that the US and South Korea will hold their "largest-ever" live-fire drills this June, a move that will anger Pyongyang and ensure tensions on the Korean Peninsula will remain high. The ministry said the drills would be...