The truth about Russia’s defence budget

Contrary to recent claims, Russia's defence budget has not been slashed for 2017.

However, there is a paradox.

Sustained and generous defence spending has bought Putin a military of considerable capacity. It has also kept defence enterprises – in many cases ones on whose health cities and regions depend – afloat against the uncaring pressures of the market. Yet these are precisely the reasons why significant spending cuts are now politically unthinkable, especially in the run-up to the 2018 presidential election, clearly intended to be a triumphant coronation and celebration of Putin.

Thus, Putin is in many ways a victim of his own success. He is forced to spend money - that could be far better devoted to other purposes - on kit of often-questionable relevance to Russia’s actual security challenges. It may not be much comfort for a West currently struggling with its own defence spending challenges, but Putin may in fact be Russia’s greatest security threat, mortgaging future economic and social progress for short-term gain.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Russia’s National Security Strategy and Military Doctrine and their Implications for the EU http://www.europeansources.info/record/russias-national-security-strategy-and-military-doctrine-and-their-implications-for-the-eu/

NATO Review, 2016: Does Russia have the financial means for its military ambitions? http://www.nato.int/docu/Review/2016/Also-in-2016/Does-Russia-have-the-financial-means-for-its-military-ambitions/EN/index.htm

Blog: IISS Military Balance Blog, 06.03.17: Russia’s defence spending: the impact of economic contraction http://www.iiss.org/en/militarybalanceblog/blogsections/2017-edcc/march-f0a5/russias-defence-spending-7de6

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