Overview

• Marco Rubio’s first trip to Asia as secretary of state includes a high-stakes meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the ASEAN foreign ministers gathering to break the Ukraine negotiation deadlock.
• Kyiv reports that Russia launched its largest drone and missile assault since February 2022, prompting President Trump to accelerate defensive weapons shipments to Ukraine.
• The United States plans to reinstate 20–50% duties on about 20 Asian countries starting August 1, with additional levies of 50% on copper and up to 200% on pharmaceuticals.
• Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim denounced the threatened tariffs as “geopolitical tools,” warning they risk undermining ASEAN unity and regional economic stability.
• Foreign ministers at the summit will also address Chinese maritime operations near disputed South and East China Sea islands and seek ways to rebalance economic and security ties with Beijing.