By Alexandra Sharp
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at British military commitments to Ukraine, South Korea’s efforts to reduce reliance on the United States, and Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian military base.
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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham (left) shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as they meet with troops on board a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier in Portsmouth, England, on July 27.Simon Jones/AFP via Getty Images
The United Kingdom pledged its continued support for Ukraine on Tuesday, defying Russian threats of possible retaliation for supplying drones to Kyiv. Such posturing highlights the significant role that drone warfare has played on the battlefield, and it risks broadening the yearslong conflict into NATO territory.
On Monday, the Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom accused London of “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis” by providing Kyiv with long-range drones capable of striking deep within Russian territory. “In doing so, the United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks” of Ukraine, the embassy wrote on Telegram. It warned that such actions “inevitably carry consequences” and that the deeper London’s involvement goes, the “higher the price it will pay.”
Moscow did not specify what these consequences could be. However, experts suggest that retaliation could take the form of attacks on British intelligence or military assets overseas as well as hybrid warfare, such as cyberattacks. “Nothing can be excluded, from my personal point of view,” former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Fedorov told the BBC on Tuesday.
In June 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed to begin co-producing long-range drones. Within a year of that announcement, the United Kingdom unveiled two massive drone packages for Kyiv, each including tens of thousands of drones.
Since then, Ukraine has stepped up its massive drone operations on Russia, targeting Russian oil refineries, logistics hubs, and other critical infrastructure as far as more than 1,000 miles from the Ukrainian border. On Saturday, the U.K.’s Times newspaper reported that British-made drones had been used to hit targets on the Russian mainland for the first time since the war began in February 2022. Two days later, Ukraine launched more than 630 drones at Moscow, though London did not specify whether any of the drones used in that operation were manufactured in the United Kingdom.
“We are providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself, and that’s been the British position all the way through,” British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Tuesday, reaffirming that Kyiv has London’s “100 percent” commitment. “We are not fair-weather friends. We will be there in Ukraine’s hour of need, and that won’t change.”
This is not the first time that the Kremlin has threatened Downing Street over its involvement in the war. Moscow has repeatedly singled out London for arming Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including long-range Storm Shadow missiles that were reportedly replenished in November; providing financial aid; and offering political backing. The United Kingdom was also the first country to pledge modern Challenger 2 battle tanks for Ukraine to reduce its reliance on Soviet-era machinery.
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Ulchi drills, day 2. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung urged his country on Tuesday to prepare for the “worst-case scenario” of total war despite stressing that maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula remains the top priority. His warning came on day 2 of joint U.S.-South Korean Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which Lee reiterated were defensive in nature and not intended to raise tensions with Pyongyang.
Still, North Korea has opposed the military drills, calling them “a rehearsal for an aggressive war.” To appease Pyongyang, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. military would downsize its involvement in the 11-day Ulchi event, prompting concerns that Washington was choosing to side with an authoritarian leader over a historic U.S. ally.
In response, Lee appears focused on reducing South Korea’s reliance on the United States. On Tuesday, he reiterated his push for Seoul to regain control of the country’s military from the United States during wartime and for more quickly acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. “A strong alliance makes the foundation of security stronger, and strengthening our own capabilities increases our value and necessity as an ally,” Lee said.
“Unnecessary escalation.” Israeli forces launched eight airstrikes at a military base in Idlib, Syria, on Tuesday, triggering fierce global condemnation, including from key allies. The attack marked the first such assault on Syrian government assets since March and the first attack on the Idlib air base since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. No casualties were reported, though a military source claimed that the operation damaged a runway and storage facilities.
Tuesday’s attacks on Abu al-Duhur Air Base “constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability,” Tom Barrack, the U.S. presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq, wrote on X. Jordan’s foreign ministry called the operation “an unjustified act of aggression, a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a blatant breach of international law and the U.N. Charter.” And Turkey’s foreign ministry urged the international community to “take a more decisive stance to end Israel’s escalating aggression against Syria and to ensure accountability for these actions that disregard international law.”
Israel has not yet commented on the strikes. However, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani warned that Israel should recalibrate its relationship with Damascus, as Syria does not stand alone and is backed by regional allies.
Stalled diplomacy. Trump cast further doubt on the likelihood of a peace deal with Iran on Tuesday, writing on Truth Social that there is no ongoing dialogue with Tehran and no future meetings scheduled. That has not stopped Qatari mediators, though, from suggesting that an agreement between Iran and Oman over control of the Strait of Hormuz could make it easier for Tehran and Washington to resume peace talks.
However, Trump remains opposed to Oman’s involvement. On Monday, he warned that U.S. forces would “bomb the shit” out of the country if it stood in the way of the United States’ war ambitions. In response, lead Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stressed that Tehran would not reopen the critical thoroughfare unless the U.S. military lifts its naval blockade and accedes to other Iranian demands outlined in the June memorandum of understanding.
Ghalibaf’s threat came the same day that a commercial ship was attacked while exiting the strait. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, the vessel was struck by an “unknown projectile” while leaving the Persian Gulf via Omani waters on Tuesday, resulting in a “crew casualty.” Iran has not commented on the strike.
Global superstar, FIFA icon, and now hometown philanthropist. Colombian singer Shakira pledged on Monday to help build at least 10 schools and restore a local university in the western province of Chocó, which suffered heavy destruction from last week’s deadly earthquake. “What worries me the most is that schools are not rebuilt once this emergency is over,” Shakira said during a surprise visit to the provincial capital of Quibdó. “Every day that children don’t go to school is a day they miss out on their future.”
That same day, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella estimated the total cost of economic losses from the earthquake to reach $9.58 billion.
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