Vladimir Putin has spent more than $1.1 trillion on the armed forces in his 21 years in power. Since 2014, Russia has had one of the world’s most militarized state budgets
Anyone who still (5 months later) thinks the distraction event around Kiev was a military defeat for Russia is probably not worth reading.
You could have saved me a lot of time by starting with that.
2014 made it very very clear that Russia was being targeted by Nato actively. Russia is not one of a coalition like Nato or the old Warsaw Pakt. It is a single nation facing all of Nato. It also is greatly appreciated by those it protects - Abkhazia, S Ossetia, and especially by all native Syrians where it has been fighting Nato backed terrorists for 7 years while US steals Syrian oil revenue..
Spending 4.1% of GDP only on Defence when the US (backed solidly by Nato and with no natural enemies) spends 3.5% is remarkably LOW.
That it gets in many areas a superior product to the US is a testament to Russia's resolve and technical achievements.
This article suggests that Russian military spending is something other countries should fear, then pulls the carpet from under its own feet by pointing out how badly Russian forces have performed in the invasion of Ukraine and how much of that military spending has been siphoned off via corrupt business people and politicians. It's not clear to me which message we should take away.
Great reporting. Thank you.
Great article. Balanced, reasoned and researched, unlike some of the ludicrous Kremlin fan-boy comments below.
Anyone who still (5 months later) thinks the distraction event around Kiev was a military defeat for Russia is probably not worth reading.
You could have saved me a lot of time by starting with that.
2014 made it very very clear that Russia was being targeted by Nato actively. Russia is not one of a coalition like Nato or the old Warsaw Pakt. It is a single nation facing all of Nato. It also is greatly appreciated by those it protects - Abkhazia, S Ossetia, and especially by all native Syrians where it has been fighting Nato backed terrorists for 7 years while US steals Syrian oil revenue..
Spending 4.1% of GDP only on Defence when the US (backed solidly by Nato and with no natural enemies) spends 3.5% is remarkably LOW.
That it gets in many areas a superior product to the US is a testament to Russia's resolve and technical achievements.
Russia has Khinzal's, US does not.
This article suggests that Russian military spending is something other countries should fear, then pulls the carpet from under its own feet by pointing out how badly Russian forces have performed in the invasion of Ukraine and how much of that military spending has been siphoned off via corrupt business people and politicians. It's not clear to me which message we should take away.