Russia Boosts Defense Spending by 23%

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via video link on Monday (AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via video link on Monday (AFP)
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Russia Boosts Defense Spending by 23%

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via video link on Monday (AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via video link on Monday (AFP)

Russian state expenditure on national defense is set to rise by 23% in 2025, reaching 13.5 trillion roubles (145.32 billion dollars), up from 10.8 trillion roubles in 2024, figures showed after the Russian government on Monday submitted its draft budget to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, for review.

Russia has already ramped up its military spending over the past two years to support military operations in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has largely redirected its economy toward war efforts, upgrading its armed services and hiring thousands of new forces.

In 2024, Russia’s spending on defense increased by almost 70% compared to the previous year, representing 8.7% of GDP, according to President Vladimir Putin, in a precedent in modern Russian history.

According to the Finance Ministry, the priorities of the budget include social support for the people, a financial support for defense and security of the country, in addition to funding for technological leadership.

The Ministry said federal spending will grow to 41.500 trillion roubles (around $446 billion) in 2025, almost 12% more than this year.

It then showed how the funds will be allocated. “Funds have already been earmarked for supplying weapons and military equipment to the Armed Forces, the payment of monetary allowances and support for our defense enterprises,” it said.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “All of President Putin’s instructions are reflected in this draft budget,” without further details, according to AFP.

In mid-September, Putin has confirmed that defense spending will remain a priority in the country's new budget.

In a sign that military spending will not decrease in the coming months, the Russian President ordered the country’s military to increase its number of troops by 15% to a total of 1.5 million.



Harris Reiterates Support for Gaza Ceasefire as Conflict Escalates

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she departs after speaking at the Tribal Nations Summit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Nov. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she departs after speaking at the Tribal Nations Summit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Nov. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP)
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Harris Reiterates Support for Gaza Ceasefire as Conflict Escalates

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she departs after speaking at the Tribal Nations Summit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Nov. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP)
Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she departs after speaking at the Tribal Nations Summit in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Nov. 16, 2021, in Washington. (AP)

Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Washington will continue to pressure Israel and other players in the Middle East to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza even as advocates say that the United States has not thus far used its leverage over its ally.

In an interview with CBS news show "60 Minutes," Harris said that diplomatic work with Israel is "an ongoing pursuit," according to a clip released on Sunday.

Harris sidestepped a question in the interview on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a "real close ally."

"I think with all due respect the better question is do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people and the answer to that question is yes," Harris said, Reuters reported.

Harris reiterated Washington's position to support Israel's right to self defense against Iran and Iran-backed militant groups like Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah.

"Now the work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles," Harris said.

"We're not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel and in the region including Arab leaders," Harris said.

Washington's occasional condemnation of Israel over the war's civilian death toll has mostly been verbal with no substantive change in policy.

Advocates say Washington has not put pressure on its ally by refusing to put an arms embargo that anti-war protesters around the United States and the world have demanded for months. Protests were also held over the weekend.

President Joe Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire plan for Gaza on May 31 but a deal between Israel and Hamas has not been reached due to gaps in exchanges of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and Israel's demand that it maintain presence in a corridor on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel has also been separately carrying out a military campaign in Lebanon which in recent days has killed hundreds, wounded thousands and displaced over a million.