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The European Commission (EC) on August 24 approved an additional €6.1 billion (about NT$226.8 billion) in financial assistance for Ukraine to purchase military equipment, including air defense systems, missiles, ammunition and radar. The EU said the funding comes on top of an earlier €16 billion military procurement program, of which €8.35 billion has already been disbursed, underscoring Europe’s continued efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that as Russia’s offensive intensifies, the EU is accelerating efforts to help Ukraine protect its people and defend its airspace. She stressed that Europe would continue to stand with Ukraine and provide the necessary support whenever it is needed. The latest aid package focuses on strengthening air defense and early-warning capabilities in response to the growing threat from Russian missile and drone attacks.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz co-chaired a “Coalition of the Willing” meeting in Kyiv on August 24, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening support for Ukraine’s war effort. CNN reported that France and Ukraine are considering establishing production lines in Ukraine to manufacture the SCALP (Storm Shadow) cruise missile, jointly developed by Britain and France, further enhancing Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities. Britain also plans to share technical information on some missile components with Ukraine, deepening military cooperation between the two countries.

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling on his cabinet to accelerate reforms aimed at easing the burden on businesses and boosting economic growth. Government ministries are expected to swiftly implement reform decisions reached before the summer recess, including measures involving taxation, pensions, deregulation and digitalization.

According to reports, Merz said ahead of a cabinet meeting in Neuhardenberg, Brandenburg, that Germany is facing major challenges to growth and employment. He stressed that economic growth and jobs are currently the government’s top priorities, saying the administration must remain fully focused and keep its sights firmly on these goals.

Merz plans to urge cabinet ministers to quickly implement the reforms agreed upon before the summer recess, covering areas such as taxation, pensions, deregulation and digitalization. He emphasized that the government had made historic decisions before the summer break and must now put them into practice as quickly as possible. The next step, he said, is to turn policies into concrete measures rather than allowing them to remain at the legislative and planning stages.

In recent years, Germany’s economy has been weighed down by high energy costs, weak external demand, cumbersome bureaucracy and declining industrial competitiveness. The speed at which reforms can be implemented will be crucial to restoring investor confidence and supporting economic recovery.

Merz stressed that the government’s top priority is to reduce the burden on businesses quickly and comprehensively, particularly by supporting skilled workers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they cope with the current economic challenges.

Following his recent request to scale down joint U.S.–South Korea military drills, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated on the 19th that he hopes to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again this year. Emphasizing the friendly relationship they had built, Trump further specified that North Korea possesses 57 nuclear weapons. However, on the afternoon of the 20th, North Korea launched approximately 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the waters east of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea convened an emergency meeting the same day, ordering the military to intensify surveillance and maintain full combat readiness.

South Korea's military detected the missile launches toward the northeastern waters at around 5:00 PM on the 20th. The missiles reached a maximum altitude of approximately 90 kilometers, flew about 320 kilometers, and ultimately landed near the eastern coast of the Korean Peninsula. Japan also detected suspected missile launches, with one missile landing outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Prior to the launches, Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un and Vice Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, condemned the joint U.S.–South Korea military exercises. She argued that scaling down the drills was not a policy concession and that U.S. hostility toward North Korea remained unchanged. However, she noted that Kim Jong Un still cherishes personal memories of his interactions with Trump and that the two leaders continue to maintain a good relationship.

On the morning of the 21st, authorities from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea held a trilateral phone conference regarding North Korea's ballistic missile tests to share intelligence and discuss response strategies. Following the meeting, they released a statement condemning the launches as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and pledged to cooperate closely to continuously monitor North Korea's actions. The South Korean government also issued a statement on the 21st, emphasizing that it remains committed to peaceful dialogue, ongoing communication with North Korea to ease regional tensions, and close cooperation with the United States to implement the denuclearization policy and achieve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

According to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, a majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump and his family are using cryptocurrency to profit, raising strong concerns that Trump allows private commercial interests to influence national policy. The survey of 1,166 U.S. adults found that 63% consider it "inappropriate" for Trump and his family to profit from crypto ventures. Nearly 70% believe his private business interests substantially shape presidential decision-making. Views vary across party lines: two-thirds of independent voters share these doubts, along with 90% of Democrats who believe Trump’s policies serve personal interests, and half of Republican supporters who hold the same concern.

The controversy stems from financial disclosures showing that in 2025 alone, Trump and his family earned more than $1.4 billion in massive gains from digital assets, including the World Liberty Financial crypto platform and the "$TRUMP" meme coin. In stark contrast, an estimated one million retail investors—who entered the market following heavy promotion by the Trump family, particularly his son Eric Trump—suffered roughly $3.8 billion in wiped-out wealth, intensifying public criticism that Trump is using his public office for private gain.

The issue escalated further with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) granting conditional preliminary approval for World Liberty Financial to convert into a national trust bank. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren condemned the move as one of the most shameless acts of self-enrichment in the history of the U.S. financial system. Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter noted that Trump holding vast private banking interests alongside regulatory authority creates a depth of conflict of interest "unprecedented" in U.S. history. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly rejected all allegations, stating that Trump's investments are placed in an independent third-party trust and involve no conflict of interest.

With upcoming congressional midterm elections, this negative perception could deal a blow to the governing Republican Party. A late-July CNN poll indicated that 66% of respondents did not trust Trump to prioritize national interests over personal interests. Additionally, 49% of voters viewed the Republican Party as corrupt, compared to 41% for the Democratic Party. Voter anxiety and anger over government corruption are poised to influence the midterm political landscape and reshape the balance of power in U.S. politics over the next two years.

On the 18th, the U.S. government imposed a new round of sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), targeting current Japanese President Tomoko Akane and Senegalese Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. This marks the latest in a series of sanctions directed at ICC judges and human rights groups under Executive Order 14203, signed by Donald Trump on February 6, 2025. The measures include freezing any assets held by the two individuals within U.S. jurisdiction or connected to the U.S. financial system, restricting their visa entry, and prohibiting U.S. persons or entities from engaging in transactions with them.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the ICC as a "corrupt and fatally politicized" institution, accusing it of abusing its authority and exceeding its mandate. The U.S. Department of Justice also issued a letter reaffirming that it does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction over citizens of countries that are not parties to the Rome Statute. The U.S. sanctions against the ICC are widely seen as direct retaliation for the arrest warrants issued in 2024 against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others.

In response, the ICC strongly condemned the U.S. sanctions as a "blatant attack" on the court's independence and the international rule of law. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed that the situation is "extremely regrettable" in a media interview. Japanese Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Toshihiro Kitamura further noted that as one of the ICC's largest financial contributors, Japan will continue to support the court's efforts to uphold the rule of law in the international community. Several other global leaders—including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa—issued statements urging the U.S. to lift the sanctions and stressing that judicial bodies must operate independently without external pressure.

In March 2023, while serving as a pre-trial judge, Akane was placed on Moscow's criminal wanted list and sentenced after issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now facing U.S. sanctions as well, she has emerged as a judicial symbol of standing up against major global powers.

According to recent polls, Donald Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 33%—a record low for his second term—driven by military action against Iran and widespread dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy. A majority of the public believes the country is heading in the wrong direction.

The primary driver behind this steep decline is the conflict with Iran evolving into a prolonged war. The fighting has disrupted 20% of the global oil trade and caused gas prices to surge, intensifying the cost-of-living burden on everyday Americans and contradicting his campaign promises to avoid foreign wars and rein in inflation.

An overwhelming 80% of respondents—including 87% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans—believe the US military intervention in Iran will become protracted, while only 16% expect it to end within weeks. Only 20% of respondents consider the war worthwhile. The nationwide survey polled 1,166 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Addressing concerns over rising fuel costs, Trump argued that paying higher gas prices is "worth it" to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but public sentiment indicates otherwise. The crisis has even eroded the Republican Party's traditional advantage on the economy, marking the first time in nearly a decade that voters trust Democrats more to handle the economy and cost of living.

Furthermore, the GOP's long-standing lead on immigration policy is rapidly diminishing. Despite a decline in unauthorized border crossings, rising enforcement-related tensions and an increasing number of detentions—including children—have narrowed the gap between the two parties on immigration to just two percentage points, down from a 26-point Republican lead in January. Facing compounding public discontent, Republicans are growing deeply anxious about defending their congressional majorities in the upcoming November midterm elections.

Ukraine has recently significantly expanded its drone strike operations deep inside Russia, shifting targets from military and energy facilities to logistics and commercial infrastructure. Wildberries, Russia’s largest e-commerce platform, saw roughly 20 of its major fulfillment and warehousing centers hit by attacks and resulting fires. The targeted areas spanned from Moscow and St. Petersburg to southern Russia and the Urals. With vast warehouse space damaged and billions of dollars' worth of goods destroyed in flames, Russian citizens are now feeling the war’s direct impact on daily life and the consumer ecosystem on a massive scale for the first time.

Often hailed as the "Russian Amazon," Wildberries holds a dominant position in the country's online shopping market, hosting an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 sellers and operating across all 11 of Russia's time zones. Analysts point out that the strikes dealt a severe blow to the platform’s warehousing and logistics networks, with an estimated up to 20% of its total warehouse footprint damaged and potential losses reaching $6 billion. Because hundreds of thousands of small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and individual merchants stored their inventory in these hubs, the disruption has not only halted the flow of goods but also shaken domestic consumer demand and SME operations.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that the objective of these strikes is to disrupt military logistics and apply economic pressure on Russia, triggering a ripple effect through logistics breakdowns and financial risk. Wildberries has previously borrowed heavily from institutions such as VTB Bank, with debts estimated at approximately $15 billion by the end of 2025; observers worry that warehouse losses could drastically increase its debt-servicing strain. However, some Russian analysts argue that these attacks may not necessarily spark anti-government sentiment, but could instead further inflame anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western sentiment across Russian society, potentially giving hardliners advocating for escalation the upper hand.

U.S. President Donald Trump said during a public speech at a police academy on Long Island, New York, on the 14th that after defeating Iran, the United States would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz to be “U.S. territory.” Trump also reiterated that Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. His remarks immediately drew a strong backlash from authorities in Tehran.

Trump has recently escalated his stance toward Iran and claimed that the United States had already taken control of the Strait of Hormuz. During his speech at the police academy on Long Island, Trump made another startling statement, saying, “After we completely defeat Iran—they’ve already been devastated—I will very soon announce that the Strait of Hormuz is U.S. territory.”

As oil prices rise and add to inflationary pressures in the United States, Trump said the measures were necessary to prevent an “extremely evil country” from obtaining nuclear weapons. He added, “Remember this: when you pay a little more, when oil reaches $4 a gallon, that’s okay. I will not apologize for it. I did the right thing.”

Trump’s remarks immediately triggered a backlash from Iran. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi responded forcefully on X, saying that the decision to keep the Strait of Hormuz open or closed rests with Iran.

Because neither the United States nor Iran can fully control the Strait of Hormuz, persistently rising oil and natural gas prices, along with the economic fallout from the war, could become one of the key issues in the U.S. midterm elections in November.

To reduce the United States’ reliance on Chinese drones and related components and create more market opportunities for domestic suppliers, the White House issued a national security statement on the 13th. President Donald John Trump formally signed a proclamation imposing tariffs of 10% to 100% on imported drones and related components.

According to the statement, drones weighing more than 25 kilograms and meeting certain size or functional criteria, which are considered more sensitive to national security, will be subject to a 100% tariff. Small drones that are not considered national-security-sensitive will face a 25% tariff. For countries that have reached trade agreements with the United States, a 15% tariff will apply as long as the relevant hardware and technology originate from the country concerned and the United States.

Products subject to the 100% tariff will take effect after September 3. For less-sensitive products, as well as products approved by the U.S. Department of Defense and placed on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) exemption list within 20 days of Trump signing the proclamation, implementation of the new tariffs will be delayed for six months.

At present, the European Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, all of which have reached trade agreements with the United States, will be subject to a 15% tariff on drones, while the United Kingdom will face a 10% tariff.

A latest human rights monitoring report released by the United Nations said Ukraine faced an intensification of hostilities in July, resulting in the deaths of more than 430 civilians and injuries to more than 2,600 others. The total number of casualties rose by 30 percent compared with June and was 70 percent higher than in the same period a year earlier, marking the highest level in more than two years. The figures indicate that, as the intensity of aerial attacks has increased significantly, the threat to the lives of children and civilians has reached its highest point since the outbreak of the war.

Further analysis found that the sharp rise in civilian casualties was primarily driven by Russia’s expanded use of long-range rockets, various types of loitering unmanned aerial vehicles, and heavy glide bombs. Kyiv, in particular, was repeatedly targeted by high-speed ballistic weapons that were difficult to intercept, with 54 residents killed in the capital in a single month. In response, Ukrainian leaders have continued to appeal to Western allies to accelerate the delivery of advanced air-defense systems, including U.S.-made Patriot systems, in an effort to build a stronger aerial shield over the country.

The full-scale war, which began in February 2022, has since evolved into the deadliest military conflict in Europe since the end of World War II, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of military personnel on both sides. Although international human rights organizations have so far verified more than 16,800 civilian deaths, the actual toll is believed to be considerably higher, given the lack of reliable information from areas under occupation, including Mariupol. Meanwhile, U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to mediate an end to the conflict have also stalled.

While major urban centers continue to face the threat of attacks from the rear, settlements near frontline positions remain under constant threat from short-range drones and various types of explosives. Russian authorities, meanwhile, have claimed that nearly 80 residents were killed and hundreds more wounded inside Russia during the same month. However, international investigators acknowledge that, because they have been unable to access the affected areas and have limited information, they are currently unable to independently verify the casualty figures reported by the opposing side.