Ukraine Deals Significant Blow to Moscow

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The United Nations appealed Monday for $4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine and displaced outside the country this year.

Martin Griffiths, the U.N.’s humanitarian chief, acknowledged that “the competition for funding is getting greater” because of crises elsewhere, including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Russia, meanwhile, was looking to deepen its ties with North Korea, whose foreign minister began a three-day visit to Moscow on Monday. The Kremlin is eager to replenish its weapons stockpiles. It has in recent times turned to Iran and North Korea for supplies. Pyongyang has likely supplied several types of missiles to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, along with its widely reported shipments of ammunition and shells, the U.S. and its allies have alleged.

Russian and Iranian defense and foreign ministers spoke by phone Monday to discuss bilateral military and military technical cooperation and regional security issues, according to official statements. They noted that the two countries are preparing to sign a landmark cooperation treaty.

Ukraine is also determined to build up its stocks for a protracted conflict and is “dramatically expanding” its domestic manufacturing capacity for military items, a

U.S. think tank said.

Ukraine is well-positioned to succeed in its plans to make up for any shortfall in Western-supplied weaponry, the Institute for the Study of War said.

“Ukraine is heavily industrialized, with a highly educated and technically sophisticated population,” the think tank said late Sunday. “It had a massive arms industry during the Soviet period and continued to be a significant arms exporter after independence.”