**Russia’s Military Spending: A Reversal in Plans?**
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a surprising claim that Moscow plans to cut its military expenditure starting next year. This announcement comes as a rebuke to NATO members’ plans to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
However, experts and Western officials are likely to be skeptical about this claim, given Russia’s continued military buildup in Ukraine. Putin did not provide any specifics on how Moscow plans to cut its military spending, but added that there has yet to be an agreement between ministries.
Putin’s comments were made during a visit to Belarus, where he claimed that NATO members’ plans to increase defense spending are a sign of aggression. “We see Europe thinking about how to increase its spending, on the contrary,” Putin said. “So who is preparing for some kind of aggressive actions? Us or them?”
**NATO’s Growing Concerns**
Putin’s comments come as NATO allies are increasingly concerned about Russia’s military capabilities and future threats to alliance members. In June, NATO member states agreed to a new defense spending benchmark, committing to allocate 5% of their GDP annually to defense and security-related expenditures by 2035.
The decision comes as NATO allies believe that Russia could rebuild sufficient military capacity to challenge the alliance within five years. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that allies must act urgently to prepare for future threats.
“We see Russia’s deadly terror from the skies over Ukraine every day,” Rutte said during a press briefing on June 23. “We must be able to defend ourselves from such attacks.”
**Dire Warnings**
European intelligence agencies and officials have delivered dire warnings about the threat emanating from Russia and Europe’s current lack of preparedness. German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl told a parliamentary hearing in October that Russia will have the military capabilities to attack NATO by 2030.
In 2024, Russia’s military spending surpassed the combined defense budgets of all European nations. Russia’s total defense expenditures surged by 42% in real terms, amounting to $462 billion.
**A Reversal in Plans?**
Putin’s claim that Moscow plans to cut its military expenditure starting next year is unlikely to be taken seriously by Western officials and experts. Given the current military buildup in Ukraine and the escalating war plans, it seems more likely that Russia will continue to increase its military spending rather than cut it.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims made by Putin, but one thing is certain – NATO allies must remain vigilant and prepared for future threats from Russia.
