Military spending

Putin Explains Why Russia Can Afford to Spend Less on Defence

Russia is one of just a handful of major military powers to actually make cuts to its defence spending in recent years, and recently dropped out of the top five countries in terms of total spending.

Reductions in Russia’s defence spending are related to the country passing the “peak of modernisation,” allowing the government to contribute fewer resources while maintaining the same level of defence, President Vladimir Putin has said.

“[Cuts] aren’t related to us letting things slide when it comes to these issues, but due to the fact that the main planned initiatives connected to the need to intensify work on ensuring the country’s security…and with regard to the need to ensure the renewal of military equipment and hardware, and we have passed the peak of this work,” Putin said, speaking at a government meeting on Monday.

Putin noted that Russia’s military-industrial complex will need to continue its efforts to create high-tech, competitive equipment, and not resort to “making pots and pans” (i.e. engage low-tech civilian production) as it had to in the 1990s.