Trump Offers U.S. Insurance and Naval Escort for Tankers as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Disrupts Global Oil Trade 
European Allies Deploy Air Defenses to Cyprus After Drone Attack on RAF Akrotiri Base 
Trump’s Iran Strikes Spark War Powers Clash in Congress 
Santander’s $12.2B Webster Financial Deal Faces Uncertainty Amid U.S.–Spain Trade Tensions 
Supreme Court Backs GOP Lawmaker in New York Redistricting Fight Ahead of Midterms 
Defense Contractors Move to Drop Anthropic AI After Trump Administration Ban 
Rubio Says U.S. Would Not Target School After Deadly Iran Strike Reports 
AI is already creeping into election campaigns. NZ’s rules aren’t ready 
U.S. Middle East Strikes Raise Indo-Pacific Security Concerns for Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan 
Michael Whatley Wins North Carolina GOP Senate Primary, Setting Up High-Stakes Battle With Roy Cooper 
U.S.-Israel War on Iran Escalates as Gulf Conflict Disrupts Oil, Air Travel and Regional Security 
Israel Prepares Weeks-Long Military Campaign Against Iran Amid Escalating Air Strikes 
U.S. Begins Charter Evacuations as Iran Conflict Disrupts Middle East Air Travel 
Iran Detains U.S. Citizens Amid Escalating Conflict With the United States and Israel 
Pentagon Downplays ‘Endless War’ Fears After U.S. Strikes on Iran Escalate Conflict 
Trump and Merz Meet at White House Amid Iran Strikes and Trade Tensions 
Middle East Air War Triggers Massive Flight Cancellations and Global Airline Disruptions 
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said that while it was important to make sure that Russia does not succeed, Seoul was also considering options regarding sending lethal aid to Ukraine. This comes as Yoon previously suggested that South Korea may consider expanding the aid it would provide Ukraine.
During a state visit to the United States last week, Yoon marked the 70th anniversary of the United States-South Korea alliance by delivering a speech at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. In his remarks, Yoon said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a violation of international law and human rights. Yoon was also pressed on whether South Korea was going to provide lethal aid to Ukraine.
“We should prove such attempts will never reach success, to block further attempts being made in the future,” said Yoon, according to translations of his speech.
“We are closely monitoring the situation that’s going on the battlefield in Ukraine and will take proper measures in order to uphold the international norms and international law,” said Yoon. “Right now we are closely monitoring the situation and we are considering various options.”
The week prior to leaving for Washington, Yoon told Reuters in an interview that Seoul may extend the support it is providing to Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid should Kyiv come under a large-scale civilian attack. This marked a shift in Yoon’s stance against providing weapons to Ukraine for the first time.
Also last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that 98 percent of the combat vehicles Ukraine’s allies in the West pledged have already arrived in Ukraine. This included 1,550 armored vehicles and 230 tanks for Ukrainian forces to form units as it gears up for a counteroffensive to reclaim captured territories. Stoltenberg added that NATO allies have trained over nine Ukrainian units, with over 30,000 troops estimated to make up the units.
Ukraine’s allies have also provided Kyiv with “vast amounts of ammunition,” and some partner countries of the NATO alliance have also provided armored vehicles to Kyiv. Stoltenberg said that the scale of military aid provided to Ukraine was “unprecedented” but noted that Russia should not be underestimated, citing Moscow’s mobilization of ground forces and its willingness to “send in thousands of troops with very high casualty rates.”
