Japanese Prime Minister TAKAICHI said Japan will continue to work with President Zelenskyy to support Ukraine.

Fitch's BMI says South Korea's downstream oil and gas sector could remain stable in 2026 despite pressure from elevated freight costs and geopolitical risk. Seoul is shifting to a broader energy-security strategy to reduce reliance on Middle East crude, targeting the Middle East's share of crude imports to fall from 69.1% in 2024 to 60% or below. BMI adds recent import data show more flexible sourcing: January–May Middle East share was 62.8%, while in May the Americas, including the US, accounted for 26.6% of crude imports.

JODI: Saudi Arabia's crude oil inventories rose by 31.422 mln barrels in July to 175.632 mln barrels.