Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Wednesday said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “mocking” the Trump administration’s peace efforts in Ukraine with the incursion of Russian drones in Polish airspace.

“I think Putin is mocking President Trump’s peace efforts and testing nature. We don’t believe this was accidental, because previously, when one or two drones reached our airspace, they came from Ukraine,” Sikorski said during a Wednesday appearance on CNN’s “Situation Room.” 

Putin recently met with Trump in Alaska to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Both leaders spoke with hope about a forthcoming arrangement to ensure conflict in the region died down. 

However, the Kremlin’s strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities has ramped up since the meeting, and the death toll continues to rise. 

Overnight, hundreds of drones struck Ukraine and eight made it into Polish territory, causing NATO members to convene to plan its response.

“These drones, a part of them, came from Belarus, and therefore this was likely planned,” he added. 

Sikorski said the attack was “accompanied by a Russian disinformation campaign” to confuse the public.

“If you hear someone saying that this was a Ukrainian provocation, you can be sure that this is either Russian propaganda or someone parroting Russian propaganda,” he said.

He urged all NATO allies to take the threat seriously and be prepared to engage when called upon. 

“We have not invoked Article Five, but we have invoked Article Four, which says that when a party to the treaty feels threatened, she may consult with allies about what to do…” Kiroski said.

“We also expect allies to back their words of solidarity with these and we need more antiaircraft assets, and we need a drone wall on the border of nature.”

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) yelled at Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) on the House floor Wednesday over a comment Jacobs made saying that breast augmentations are gender-affirming care, with Mace later taking to social media to offer Jacobs a surgeon for a nose job.

The outburst came during debate on amendments to the annual defense authorization bill, with Mace leading several anti-transgender amendments, including one to prevent gender-affirming care under the military’s TRICARE health benefits.

“I would just like to point out that it’s interesting my colleague from South Carolina is so obsessed with the issue of trans people, using horrible slurs to talk about them, when many people in this body have received gender-affirming care,” Jacobs said on the House floor.

“Filler is gender-affirming care. Boob jobs is gender-affirming care. Botox is gender-affirming care,” Jacobs said. “Lots of my colleagues have received gender-affirming care, and let me be clear, everybody should have access to the gender-affirming care they need, and I think that we should respect everybody in this country.”

Mace, who was no longer recognized for debate and was elsewhere on the House floor, could be heard yelling at Jacobs for making comments about “my body.”

“Ridiculous,” Mace said. “You are absolutely ridiculous. What the hell is your problem?”

“You are disgusting. You are an insult,” Mace said, as the presiding officers gaveled and said that the House was not in order.

Jacobs requested to have Mace’s words be taken down — stricken from the official record — but no additional parliamentary consideration occurred because Mace was not recognized during the outburst.

Mace, who has made her personal stories of sexual assault and advocacy against transgender rights core to her political identity, then took to social media to continue scolding Jacobs.

“To @RepSaraJacobs, I talk about women’s safety and your response is commentary about my body on the House floor. If you knew anything about survivors you would know some women change their bodies because of the trauma of sexual violence. They live with the consequences for a lifetime,” Mace said.

“PS – I have a good surgeon if you ever want to get your nose done,” Mace added in the note to the Jewish congresswoman.

Jacobs, responding to a different post from Mace, said on X: “I feel sad for you. Stop lashing out against trans kids and pretending it’s to ‘protect women’. Hope you get the help you need.”

Provisions in the House and Senate annual defense authorization bills reduce restrictions on the Pentagon’s use of “forever chemicals.”

In the House, one such provision is generating pushback even from Republicans.

“Forever chemicals” are the nickname for a family of man-made chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals, which have been linked to health issues including cancer, have been used by the military for years in firefighting foam.

They have also been used in firefighter gear used by the military and civilians, as well as in common products including nonstick pans, fast food packaging, clothing, furniture, cosmetics and more.

As the public and policymakers became more aware of the hazards posed by these substances, past iterations of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) have restricted the military’s use of them and sought to require it to clean them up.

This year, however, the legislation seems to be rolling back some of those restrictions.

The House version of the bill contains a provision that delays the phaseout of the use of forever chemicals in military firefighting foam.

Previous bills required the military to stop using PFAS-laced firefighting foam by October 2024, with some possibilities for extension, but, if the measure passes, the military will be able to purchase new foam with these chemicals through 2026, with advocates fearing this will extend its use.

“The language would extend their ability to purchase and use” PFAS-containing foam until October 2026, said Jared Hayes, a senior policy analyst at the Environmental Working Group, adding that it also allows the military “to file new one-year waivers, so we’re looking at another three years of them being able to purchase and use PFAS firefighting foam.”

He said that extension waivers would be expected to restart the military’s ability to use two one-year waivers, meaning the use of this foam would be expected to be allowed until 2028.

“This really exacerbates the contamination problem … We’re going to see more contamination, driving up cleanup costs and essentially condemning more defense communities and another generation of service members,” Hayes added.

The Senate bill, meanwhile rescinds prohibitions on the military’s ability to purchase cookware, carpets and rugs that contain two of the most toxic types of forever chemicals.

It also lifts a restriction on the military’s ability to incinerate PFAS, a controversial and debated method of disposing of these substances.

If both bills pass as-is, it’s not clear which of these provisions, if any, will make it into the final version, as lawmakers will have to confer to address differences before sending it to the president’s desk.

On the House side, the delay provision was met with pushback, including from some moderate Republicans. 

GOP Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Jen Kiggans (Va.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.) and Nick LaLota (N.Y.) introduced an amendment to repeal the contentious House provision, but the amendment ultimately did not make it into the bill, which is slated for a vote on Wednesday afternoon.

“Delaying the phaseout would only extend that harm and put our servicemembers, firefighters, and their families at greater risk,” Fitzpatrick spokesperson Casey-Lee Waldron told The Hill in a statement while the amendment was still under consideration. 

She added that the congressman and his colleagues “are determined to keep the phaseout on track and prepared to fight for this critical public health priority on the Floor.”

A spokesperson for Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) who leads the House Armed Services subcommittee that deals with environmental issues, did not respond to The Hill’s requests for comment.

On the other side, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced amendments to ax the provisions related allowing incineration and the purchase of cookware and similar products.

“PFAS exposure can have drastic consequences for long-term health — why wouldn’t we take every chance to protect service members and their families from these harmful chemicals?” Shaheen told The Hill in a statement.

“That’s why I fought to enact a moratorium on incinerating PFAS until it can be fully destroyed without polluting our air. I’ll keep working to put a stop to Republican efforts to remove provisions in law that protect our service members and communities from unnecessary exposure to PFAS,” she said.

The office of Senate readiness subcommittee Chair Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) pointed The Hill to a study that found that a particular PFAS incineration facility was more than 99.9 percent effective at destroying the compounds.

“The moratorium on incinerating PFAS chemicals was put in place to ensure the science supported it as a safe and effective disposal method. It has since been shown in a comprehensive 2022 study to be 99.9999% effective,” said a spokesperson for Sullivan.

“Despite this, the Biden Administration slow-walked issuing the guidance necessary to lift the ban…leaving mounds of PFAS-laden soil in piles on our military bases. Senator Sullivan’s provision doesn’t mandate incineration, but it removes an unnecessary restriction and gives DOD back a safe and effective disposal option that doesn’t require shipping waste out of state,” they added. 

Anti-PFAS activist Diane Cotter, who voted for President Trump, has said she feels let down by the GOP on the “forever chemical” issue.

“I’m so sick of seeing congressionals stand for photo ops with firefighters and then vote this legislation down or chip away at it,” said Cotter, whose husband Paul was a firefighter who had cancer but is now cancer-free.

It is no secret that Xi Jinping and Communist China want to dominate and destroy America’s role as a global beacon of freedom and democracy and our very way of life. They want to dictate where we can sail, where we can trade, and where we can invest. Xi and his thugs also try to pressure our friends and partners to distance themselves from us.

This is why supporting our allies is so vital, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. They are the front line of defense against the Communist Chinese onslaught.

I was honored to visit one of our greatest allies in that region, the Philippines, for the second time as senator earlier this month. While there, I met with Filipino leaders to explore ways to strengthen our economic and security ties and discuss how we can stand united against Xi’s adversarial advances.

This recent trip reaffirmed my long-standing belief: the U.S.-Philippines relationship is vital to our national security and economic prosperity, especially regarding the threat of Communist China.

Americans and Filipinos share common values, and our partnership directly affects our future and the future of global security. Thankfully, President Trump understands this and is fully committed to ensuring the U.S. has the strongest military force, enforces Peace Through Strength, and works with our Filipino allies to protect America’s best interests around the world.

As a U.S. senator and a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, I am committed to working in Congress to support the administration and our Filipino allies.

The Philippines is more than just an anchor for the U.S. in the western Pacific. It is a vibrant democracy, an engaging economy, and, most importantly, an unashamed ally of the U.S. that wants stronger and closer ties. The U.S.-Philippine relationship is rooted in shared values and history. The Philippines is a thriving democracy with a deep commitment to freedom, a legacy forged through our shared sacrifices in World War II and decades of partnership since then.

The Philippines is a linchpin in the Indo-Pacific, a region where the world’s economic and geopolitical future is being shaped. With its strategic location, the Philippines is essential to countering the growing influence of adversarial powers like China.

The South China Sea — which would be better named the West Philippine Sea — is a critical artery for global trade, with nearly one-third of the world’s maritime commerce passing through it. Ensuring freedom of navigation in these waters isn’t just a regional issue — it’s a matter of global economic stability that affects American businesses, consumers and jobs.

The Philippines is doing all it can to ensure that freedom of navigation, but it cannot do it without the help of its partners, like the United States, who benefit from this freedom of navigation.

As Communist China continues its illegal, coercive and aggressive actions in this region, our military partnership with the Philippines is more important than ever. By standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our Filipino allies, we send a clear message: The U.S. will not allow authoritarian regimes to bully our partners or threaten our interests.

The Philippines is a great economic partner that likes and appreciates American business, with billions of dollars of goods and services exchanged between our countries every year. In 2024, Florida alone exported approximately $1.06 billion worth of goods to the Philippines. We can further support American businesses and create opportunities by strengthening economic ties with partners that are happy to support our success over nations like Communist China that seek to destroy us.

The Philippines and its people, under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., are aligned with the U.S. and President Trump, both economically and militarily. In the Filipino government and its people, we have a friend, partner and ally that is strategically placed, both geographically and economically, and highly motivated to work with us as Trump pursues peace through strength and delivers on the America first promises made to the American people.

Thankfully, President Trump understands that a strong, stable and prosperous Philippines strengthens America’s position in the Indo-Pacific, protects our economic interests, and upholds the democratic values we hold dear.

Most importantly, China can’t stand that the Filipino-American alliance is a massive roadblock to its desired domination of Southeast Asia and the world. We must keep it that way.

We face a complex and competitive world in which Communist China is not just an existential threat, but one committed to actively undermining and destroying our way of life in every way possible. If we seek to avoid the devastating conflict with tyranny that Xi is seeking, we must walk forward to boldly counter Communist China’s aggression.

Peace through strength is within our reach, but only if the U.S. remains committed to a strong and resilient ally in the Philippines.

Republican Rick Scott represents Florida in the U.S. Senate and serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He is a former Florida governor.