Military

The US Department of Defense is trying to convince lawmakers to fund two top-secret programs in Ukraine, which were put on hold after Russia launched its military operation in the country last year, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

"We have raised concerns about the treatment of prisoners of war, including alleged killings of POWs by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with Ukraine's Ministry of Defense," Hurtado said. "We are aware of this video, and we believe that it is authentic."

The U.S. military on Friday shot down an "object" flying in territorial waters over Alaska less than a week after an F-22 fighter jet shot down a Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic.

Despite reaching out to Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe through a special crisis line, the Chinese official declined the call, leaving Austin's efforts unanswered.

United States officials believe the Chinese balloon was affiliated with a military-aerial surveillance program that monitored at least 40 countries.

"Ukraine Fatigue Resolution."

"The issue was not whether to do the mission, but how to get it done with no overt clue as to who was responsible," Hersh stated.

The US House of Representatives is expected to pass a resolution blaming China for a "brazen violation of United States sovereignty" and accusing it of trying to "deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection campaigns."

Pentagon asserts balloon seen in US last week was military craft, not civilian weather balloon as claimed by China.

In his State of the Union address last night, President Joe Biden affirmed “our duty to protect all the people’s rights and freedoms.”