When Trump began deploying troops to US cities, Janessa Goldbeck's Vet Voice Foundation was ready – now they're preparing for what may be next Whatever the worst-case scenario, Janessa Goldbeck has probably imagined it. Last year she advised local leaders on the hypothetical of troops being deployed to their streets for immigration enforcement. Then Donald Trump won and Goldbeck's nightmare came true. “It's a little surreal to see something that we've been talking about and thinking about and stressing out about,” the chief executive of Vet Voice Foundation, a non-profit advocacy organisation, says via Zoom from her home in San Diego, California. “When we first did War Game, the film, some folks would ask during our press tour, ‘Do you think you're scaring people? It doesn't feel good to say I told you so in this moment.” Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has sought to politicise the military like no other commander-in-chief before him and use it as a cudgel against Democratic-led states and cities. He has deployed thousands of national guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans and Washington DC, triggering protests from local officials and residents. Having read the Project 2025 policy document, Goldbeck saw this coming. Last year Vet Voice Foundation, which mobilises veterans and military families to defend US democracy, ran exercises with local elected officials, activists and journalists to prepare for a second Trump administration conducting aggressive immigration enforcement. It has now become a vital resource for governors, state attorneys general and mayors trying to weather the storm. “Then serving as advisers for governors and mayors who are living day to day through this, helping them shape their communications and ensure that things don't become more violent. That's been a huge line of effort for us.” It would be a mistake to assume that all national guard members are Make America Great Again (Maga) diehards eager to do Trump's bidding. In every city except the capital, their role has eventually been restricted by courts to guarding federal property. Some have told Goldbeck that it is tedious and unfulfilling work. “There's a wide range of feelings for the folks I've spoken to, ranging from boredom – this is a waste of time – to anger because they've been taken away from their families and their jobs. “They did not sign up to be ICE – immigration enforcement – and they did not sign up to police their friends and neighbours or to be deployed into ‘hostile territory' where the governors, local police have said actually, we do not want you here.” The answer to that, I believe, is absolutely yes, especially when they're not necessarily trained for the mission they're being asked to execute. In Washington the national guard have been seen picking up litter, helping commuters with luggage and feeding squirrels. Goldbeck continues: “I spoke to one mother of a guardsman in DC who said she'd had a phone call with him and he said, ‘Mom, they're calling us the national gardeners on the internet,' because they're out there picking up trash. It just goes to show how deep this president's disdain is for people who serve in uniform and how little he understands about the actual ethos of the military and what it's there to do.” The deployments come in broader context that has seen Trump expand presidential power. “I hope that people have learned that this administration, this president, mean what they say, even it if sounds absurd or anti-American or anti-democratic. She attended Northwestern University, studying journalism and African studies. A study abroad programme in Uganda and Rwanda educated her on the unfolding genocide in Darfur, Sudan, sparking her passion for activism. Goldbeck's activism in Washington brought her into contact with military and security personnel. She observed a disconnect between humanitarian workers and the security forces that enable their operations. When she told her parents she was joining the Marine Corps, they were “horrified” and said: “These are not the values we raised you with.” This was the opposite of their reaction when she came out as gay, to which they responded, “We love you no matter what.” But over time, her parents came to take pride in her service. Goldbeck commissioned as a Marine Corps officer in 2012 and served for seven years as a combat engineer officer – a role she defines as someone who “builds things and blows things up” – while advocating for fellow female and LGBTQ+ service members. She spent years in Europe training US-allied countries but her final duty station brought her back home to oversee the integration of the west coast boot camp to include both male and female candidates. A few weeks after leaving the service, her local member of Congress retired, and Goldbeck was recruited to run for the seat. Although she did not win, the experience led to an offer to lead the Vet Voice Foundation, which represents about 2 million veterans, military family members and supporters. The foundation has been heavily involved in protecting public lands, citing a deep connection between veterans and the outdoors for healing and reconnecting with family. Earlier this year Goldbeck testified to a Senate forum that the justice department was laying the groundwork for voter roll purges that disproportionately target groups including servicemen and women who move frequently or vote absentee. She noted that more than 30% of veterans have a service-connected disability and for many in-person voting is not feasible. In this, she argues, Trump is being aided and abetted by Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defence. In a recent speech to senior officers at a military base in Quantico, Virginia, Hegseth railed against “woke” culture, railed against “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon” and insisted: “No more beardos.”

$10bn Trump-approved sale to Taipei triggers Beijing sanctions against firms such as Boeing and Northrop Grumman China's foreign ministry has hit US defence companies including Boeing with sanctions after Donald Trump approved a large package of arms sales to Taiwan. The ministry said on Friday that the measures – against 10 individuals and 20 US firms including Boeing's production hub at St Louis in Missouri – would freeze any assets the companies and individuals hold in China and bar domestic organisations and individuals from doing business with them. It comes after the Trump administration last week announced a package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10bn, including medium-range missiles and drones. China's stance on Taiwan, which is that it must merge with the People's Republic of China – something that the democratically governed Taipei rejects – has been a pinch point in its relations with the US, already worn thin over trade and tariff issues. Boeing produces fighter jets in St Louis, where more than 3,000 union workers went on strike over pay this year. Other companies targeted by the sanctions include Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and L3Harris Maritime Services. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Friday: “The Taiwan issue is the core of China's core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, although such arms sales are a persistent source of friction with China. The systems are similar to those sent to Ukraine under the Biden administration for its defence against Russia.

Kharkiv Oblast was struck with with three KAB guided bombs, one of which targeted the city of Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that one strike hit the city's "busiest road." "Several cars are on fire, and windows in nearby buildings have been shattered. There were people in the burning cars," Terekhov said. In Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine, Russia attacked the city of Uman with a missile on Dec. 26, injuring six people, including two children, Governor Ihor Tabyrets reported. "According to preliminary data, at least fifty houses have been damaged," Tabyrets said. The attacks came after Russia refused a Christmas truce, suggested by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Dec. 16. Russia continues its daily attack on civilians in Ukraine. On Christmas day, Dec. 25, it attacked a market in Kherson and a residential building in Chernihiv, at killing at least two people, injuring 10 others. Overall on Dec. 25, Russian attacks killed five civilians, and injured at least 23, regional authorities reported. Yuliia Taradiuk is a Ukrainian reporter at the Kyiv Independent. Kharkiv Oblast was struck with with three KAB guided bombs, one of which targeted the city of Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Dec. 28 as part of the latest peace efforts to end Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a source in Ukraine's Presidential Office said. Russia overnight on Dec. 26 launched drone attacks at Ukraine's sea port and energy infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts, as well as railway infrastructure in Volyn Oblast, authorities reported. Russia launched 99 drones and one Iskander ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian forces struck multiple targets inside Russia overnight Dec. 24-25, hitting oil refining facility, a port, and a military airfield, the Ukrainian General Staff and a source from the the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said. Ukraine is marking its fourth Christmas under a full-scale Russian invasion. Ukrainian intelligence sources said the officers had previously taken part in Russia's war against Ukraine and were implicated in the abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). Russia launched 131 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.

Russia overnight on Dec. 26 launched drone attacks at Ukraine's sea port and energy infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts, as well as railway infrastructure in Volyn Oblast, authorities reported. Odesa and its surrounding oblast have come under frequent attack this December with Russia targeting ports, roads, energy infrastructure, and residential areas. Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported on Dec. 26 that Russian attacks had damaged energy and port infrastructure. Russia'a drone attacks on ports in the oblast resulted in damage to terminals, warehouses, barges, and ships flying the flags of Slovakia and the Republic of Palau, according to Community and Territorial Development Minister Oleksii Kuleba. Ukraine's biggest private energy firm, DTEK, said Russia attacked two of its facilities in the southern part of the oblast, causing "significant damage." A terminal in Mykolaiv Oblast was also hit by Russian drones, Kuleba said. Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitalii Kim reported that Russian drone attacks on the city of Mykolaiv and its surrounding resulted in partial power outages. In Volyn Oblast, which neighbors Poland, Russian drones damaged a locomotive and a freight car near Kovel train station, Kuleba said, adding that employees of Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine's state railway company, were cleaning up the aftermath. "Despite Russia's deliberate terror, Ukraine's logistics system continues to function," he added. No casualties among civilians were reported in the oblasts. Yuliia Taradiuk is a Ukrainian reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has experience as a freelance culture reporter, and a background in urbanism and activism, working for multiple Ukrainian NGOs. Kharkiv Oblast was struck with with three KAB guided bombs, one of which targeted the city of Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Dec. 28 as part of the latest peace efforts to end Russia's nearly four-year full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a source in Ukraine's Presidential Office said. Russia overnight on Dec. 26 launched drone attacks at Ukraine's sea port and energy infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts, as well as railway infrastructure in Volyn Oblast, authorities reported. Russia launched 99 drones and one Iskander ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian forces struck multiple targets inside Russia overnight Dec. 24-25, hitting oil refining facility, a port, and a military airfield, the Ukrainian General Staff and a source from the the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said. Ukraine is marking its fourth Christmas under a full-scale Russian invasion. Ukrainian intelligence sources said the officers had previously taken part in Russia's war against Ukraine and were implicated in the abuse of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). Russia launched 131 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.

The Ukrainian president said the visit would take place at a location in Florida – widely expected to be Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort – in what would be the latest development in a diplomatic push that began in November with the circulation of a 28-point US plan shaped with input from Russian officials. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X on Friday, adding that “a lot can be decided before the New Year”. Zelenskyy later told journalists the high-stakes meeting with Trump was planned for Sunday and would focus on some of the most sensitive parts of the peace talks, including Ukrainian security guarantees and reconstruction. He added that the proposed 20-point peace plan was “90% ready”. Ukraine has pushed for security guarantees modelled on Nato's article 5 mutual defence pledge under any proposed peace deal with Russia, though it remains unclear whether Moscow would accept such terms. The announcement follows a burst of diplomatic activity last weekend in Miami, where Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives, as well as Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. US officials described the discussions as “constructive”, though Moscow has played down expectations of progress and there are few signs that Vladimir Putin is prepared to soften his maximalist demands to end the full-scale invasion. At a closed-door meeting with Russia's business elite on Wednesday evening, the Russian president reportedly reiterated his demand that Ukraine hand over the entire eastern Donbas region as part of any peace deal. According to Kommersant, one of Russia's best-connected newspapers, Putin also indicated openness to a limited territorial exchange with Ukraine, with Moscow potentially exchanging small areas of land Russian forces occupy in Ukraine's northern Kharkiv and southern Zaporizhzhia regions. Zelenskyy has previously said Ukraine would be open to withdrawing “heavy forces” from parts of Donbas it still controls, but only if Russia mirrored the move as part of a US-backed initiative to create a “free economic zone” in the region. It remains highly uncertain that Moscow would accept either a suggested demilitarised buffer zone or a withdrawal of its forces, even as other sticking points remain, including control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant that Kyiv says should be jointly managed by the US and Ukraine. On Friday, the Kremlin said Putin's top foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, had held a call with the US administration after Moscow received an updated US proposal on a potential peace deal, although there were no signs that a breakthrough had been reached. It marked a rare successful Ukrainian counteroffensive, prompting frustration among pro-war Russian bloggers over what many described as overly upbeat and unrealistic battlefield briefings. In late November, senior Russian generals briefed Putin that Russian troops had “completed the liberation of Kupyansk”, prompting Zelenskyy to travel to the city's outskirts to “show the world that Putin is lying”.

When the flu strikes, it can feel relentless: rising fever, hacking cough, stuffy nose and sore throat. For many people, relief can come in the form of Tamiflu, a prescription antiviral medication used to treat and even prevent the illness. But some people may not realize that Tamiflu isn't the only option. Other flu treatments are available in the United States. These alternatives sometimes fly under the radar, in part because some are targeted for specific populations. But Xofluza, a one-dose pill, is approved for people 5 years and older – and can be a strong alternative for some people who may otherwise be prescribed Tamiflu. Antiviral medications tend to work best when started within two days after symptoms begin, so having easy access to treatment options is key for treating the flu most effectively. The medicine is administered in liquid form or capsules, and typically must be taken twice daily for five days when used for flu treatment. The most common side effects include nausea and vomiting. It can be used to treat or prevent the flu, and it may cost nearly $200 without insurance, but eligible patients can use coupons to lessen costs. The most common side effects include diarrhea and vomiting. “The most common complaint I hear about is vomiting from Tamiflu,” Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician based in Texas and author of the Baby 411 book series, said in an email. “I've also had a few pediatric patients experience moodiness with Tamiflu, which is reported in the literature,” she said. The “biggest difference” between Tamiflu and Xofluza is that Xofluza can stop viral shedding in one day while Tamiflu may take about three days, Brown said. Rapivab is one of the other prescription medications approved to treat flu. The drug is approved for ages 6 months and older, given once as an intravenous infusion by a health care provider. It is inhaled in powder form, and typically administered using an inhaler device twice a day for five days. Side effects include allergic reaction, dizziness or irritation of the nose, and it is not recommended for people with breathing problems, such as asthma. But Xofluza is becoming more widely used, Brown said. “I suspect it is region-dependent,” Brown said about access to treatment. “When one part of the country has surging flu cases, there is higher demand. We have not encountered this issue in Austin,” she said. For instance, this flu season, she has only had one Xofluza prescription that she needed to send to a different pharmacy because the first pharmacy was out of stock. But overall, “Xofluza is rising in popularity over Tamiflu,” Brown said. “But all of the factors above–cost, ability to swallow a pill, availability can impact that decision.” Another factor that may impact decisions: There is a growing concern about the influenza virus developing resistance to Xofluza. “That happens sometimes around 10% of the time, so it's not trivial. And that's why I think the longer-term Tamiflu continues to be favored – that and the side effect of diarrhea,” he said. “So, Tamiflu tends to be recommended more frequently, despite the fact that you do have to take it for five days.” Xofluza resistance has appeared to occur even more frequently in younger children, Dr. Tim Uyeki, chief medical officer of the influenza division at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a call earlier this month of the CDC's Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA). It's been reported, but it appears to be very uncommon and there's no circulation of baloxavir-resistant viruses or oseltamivir-resistant viruses in the general population.” Flu season in the US is heating up, driven by new subclade K variant National influenza experts discussed on the COCA call that Tamiflu or oseltamivir is preferred for treating hospitalized patients and people with progressive illness. Xofluza is not recommended during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for outpatients with complicated or progressive illness, severely immunosuppressed people or hospitalized patients, because of the lack of information on its use for these groups. But there are situations for which Xofluza may be preferred. “For a patient with known or suspected influenza B, baloxavir has much greater efficacy against influenza B compared to oseltamivir,” Uyeki said during the call, adding that the medication is “generally well tolerated.” “A single dose of baloxavir is not associated with many side effects and fewer side effects compared to oseltamivir,” he said. “For patients, I think every patient would prefer a single oral dose of baloxavir versus five days, twice-daily of oseltamivir treatment.”

When Trump began deploying troops to US cities, Janessa Goldbeck's Vet Voice Foundation was ready – now they're preparing for what may be next Whatever the worst-case scenario, Janessa Goldbeck has probably imagined it. Last year she advised local leaders on the hypothetical of troops being deployed to their streets for immigration enforcement. Then Donald Trump won and Goldbeck's nightmare came true. “It's a little surreal to see something that we've been talking about and thinking about and stressing out about,” the chief executive of Vet Voice Foundation, a non-profit advocacy organisation, says via Zoom from her home in San Diego, California. “When we first did War Game, the film, some folks would ask during our press tour, ‘Do you think you're scaring people? It doesn't feel good to say I told you so in this moment.” Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has sought to politicise the military like no other commander-in-chief before him and use it as a cudgel against Democratic-led states and cities. He has deployed thousands of national guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans and Washington DC, triggering protests from local officials and residents. Having read the Project 2025 policy document, Goldbeck saw this coming. Last year Vet Voice Foundation, which mobilises veterans and military families to defend US democracy, ran exercises with local elected officials, activists and journalists to prepare for a second Trump administration conducting aggressive immigration enforcement. It has now become a vital resource for governors, state attorneys general and mayors trying to weather the storm. “Then serving as advisers for governors and mayors who are living day to day through this, helping them shape their communications and ensure that things don't become more violent. That's been a huge line of effort for us.” It would be a mistake to assume that all national guard members are Make America Great Again (Maga) diehards eager to do Trump's bidding. In every city except the capital, their role has eventually been restricted by courts to guarding federal property. Some have told Goldbeck that it is tedious and unfulfilling work. “There's a wide range of feelings for the folks I've spoken to, ranging from boredom – this is a waste of time – to anger because they've been taken away from their families and their jobs. “They did not sign up to be ICE – immigration enforcement – and they did not sign up to police their friends and neighbours or to be deployed into ‘hostile territory' where the governors, local police have said actually, we do not want you here.” The answer to that, I believe, is absolutely yes, especially when they're not necessarily trained for the mission they're being asked to execute. In Washington the national guard have been seen picking up litter, helping commuters with luggage and feeding squirrels. Goldbeck continues: “I spoke to one mother of a guardsman in DC who said she'd had a phone call with him and he said, ‘Mom, they're calling us the national gardeners on the internet,' because they're out there picking up trash. It just goes to show how deep this president's disdain is for people who serve in uniform and how little he understands about the actual ethos of the military and what it's there to do.” The deployments come in broader context that has seen Trump expand presidential power. “I hope that people have learned that this administration, this president, mean what they say, even it if sounds absurd or anti-American or anti-democratic. She attended Northwestern University, studying journalism and African studies. A study abroad programme in Uganda and Rwanda educated her on the unfolding genocide in Darfur, Sudan, sparking her passion for activism. Goldbeck's activism in Washington brought her into contact with military and security personnel. She observed a disconnect between humanitarian workers and the security forces that enable their operations. When she told her parents she was joining the Marine Corps, they were “horrified” and said: “These are not the values we raised you with.” This was the opposite of their reaction when she came out as gay, to which they responded, “We love you no matter what.” But over time, her parents came to take pride in her service. Goldbeck commissioned as a Marine Corps officer in 2012 and served for seven years as a combat engineer officer – a role she defines as someone who “builds things and blows things up” – while advocating for fellow female and LGBTQ+ service members. She spent years in Europe training US-allied countries but her final duty station brought her back home to oversee the integration of the west coast boot camp to include both male and female candidates. A few weeks after leaving the service, her local member of Congress retired, and Goldbeck was recruited to run for the seat. Although she did not win, the experience led to an offer to lead the Vet Voice Foundation, which represents about 2 million veterans, military family members and supporters. The foundation has been heavily involved in protecting public lands, citing a deep connection between veterans and the outdoors for healing and reconnecting with family. Earlier this year Goldbeck testified to a Senate forum that the justice department was laying the groundwork for voter roll purges that disproportionately target groups including servicemen and women who move frequently or vote absentee. She noted that more than 30% of veterans have a service-connected disability and for many in-person voting is not feasible. In this, she argues, Trump is being aided and abetted by Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defence. In a recent speech to senior officers at a military base in Quantico, Virginia, Hegseth railed against “woke” culture, railed against “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon” and insisted: “No more beardos.”

Cláudio Valente and one of victims, Nuno FG Loureiro, both studied at notoriously challenging Técnico in Lisbon As investigators in Massachusetts work to piece together a motive for the murders of two Brown University students and an MIT physics professor, former classmates of the suspected gunman and one of the victims have been asking if the roots of the tragedy lie in their shared experience at a top university in Portugal. The suspected gunman, Cláudio Valente, and one of those killed, Nuno FG Loureiro, studied at the prestigious and notoriously challenging University of Lisbon engineering and technology school, known locally as Técnico, both graduating in 2000. Only one was willing to go on the record, but several others expressed similar opinions. Valente was described as brilliant and competitive, but willing to help his colleagues out. Loureiro, who was said to be an excellent student but more easygoing than Valente, finished with an average grade of 16 out of 20. Nuno Morais, 48, now a researcher at the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine in Lisbon, said he and his fellow classmates, shaken by the news of Loureiro's killing, had been “racking their brains” for any signs that something was wrong. “Having known Cláudio and having had a good relationship with him, we can't find any other explanation than a serious mental health problem – exacerbated by resentment for not having achieved the academic career he dreamed of,” he said. Soon after his graduation in Lisbon, Valente enrolled at Brown University as a promising young doctoral student of physics, but dropped out after a few months in early 2001 and returned to Portugal to work as a programmer for an internet provider. Loureiro studied at Imperial College London and then Princeton University, later working at the UK's Culham Centre for Fusion Energy. Valente and Loureiro's classmates said they suspected that the highly competitive atmosphere of academia may have taken a mental toll. “I don't remember any specific situations directly involving Nuno and Cláudio during our graduate degree, but the culture in these schools remains the same – a hyper-competitive environment where students who struggle are humiliated and made to feel they can only succeed if they are the best of the best,” said Morais. Morais said: “The only connection I can make with Cláudio's trajectory and what happened was his disappointment with the experience at Brown. He said his current work included mentoring and supporting students, which had made him aware of how normalised emotional distress and high pressure are in academia. He said that over the years higher-education institutions such as MIT and Caltech had taken steps to relieve student pressure because of high suicide rates. “Portuguese schools now have therapist offices to assist students, but there's a great delay in fighting bullying and harassment inside the institutions. The prevailing culture is still one in which senior figures behave in ways that are prejudicial to mental health and that continues to be tolerated. Tragedies like this should prompt us to think very carefully,” Morais said. Valente returned to the US in 2017 through the diversity lottery immigrant visa programme and was granted a green card. On Friday morning, after Valente was found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, announced she had paused the visa scheme under Trump's direction to “ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous programme”. Access to weapons and the hyper-competitive culture of some universities are closer to the root causes of these shootings than migration.”

WASHINGTON, December 26. /TASS/. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has added 27 Ukrainian citizens to its database of detained foreigners it calls the "worst of the worst." The database includes dangerous foreign criminals detained in the past 11 months by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a DHS agency that locates and deports illegal migrants. The list contains 27 Ukrainians, more than from any other former USSR country, convicted of robbery, fraud, armed assault, drug trafficking and sex crimes. The majority on the list are citizens of Latin American countries, which account for many illegal US immigrants, including several thousand Mexicans.

The United States' plans to supply weapons to Taiwan will not bring Washington the results it hopes for, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the US, told TASS, stressing that China's determination to defend its sovereignty must not be underestimated. "The "Taiwan independence" separatist forces on the island attempt to advance their independence agenda and resist reunification through military buildup, squander the taxpayers' money to purchase weapons, and even risk turning Taiwan into a "powder keg." For the U.S., assisting the "independence" agenda by arming Taiwan will only backfire, and using Taiwan to contain China will never succeed," he emphasized in response to a recently published Pentagon report on the development of China's military, which asserted that Beijing aims to ensure by the end of 2027 the capability to wage a war against Taiwan and to win it. Liu Pengyu emphasized that earlier "the US blatantly announced its plan to sell massive advanced weapons to China's Taiwan region." "China will take resolute and strong measures to defend its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," he reiterated, asserting that the Taiwan issue is fundamental for Beijing and remains "the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations." Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian earlier criticized reports from the US Department of War, asserting that they deliberately distort China's defense strategy and serve as tools to sow discord in China's relations with third countries. The US government earlier announced its approval of the sale of several arms packages to Taiwan, including HIMARS missile systems, anti-tank missiles, and drones, with a total estimated value of $11.1 billion. Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te wrote in a late November article for The Washington Post that Taipei will allocate an additional $40 billion for defense, specifying that the funds will be used to purchase weapons from the United States. Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949, when remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. According to Beijing, supported by most countries including Russia, Taiwan is part of the PRC. While adhering to the One China policy, Washington continues to maintain unofficial ties with Taipei and supply the island with weapons. China estimates that US military aid to Taiwan has exceeded $70 billion over the past several years.