INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russias lower-house State Duma on Thursday approved a three-year budget plan that assigns a record 13.5 trillion rubles ($133.63 billion) to
nationwide defense in 2025, representing almost 40% of the governments amount to spending.The defense allotment represents a traditionally
high 6.31% of Russias projected GDP for next year
It does not consist of classified expenditures or funds directed towards the war in Ukraine, which are categorized under separate budget
plan items like national security.Combined costs on defense and national security will surpass allowances for education, health care, social
programs and economic development in 2025
The Duma stressed social costs in its statement of the budget plan, highlighting an organized increase to 6.9 trillion rubles ($68.3
billion) for welfare programs, alongside 6.1 trillion rubles ($60.4 billion) earmarked for technological leadership.Duma Speaker Vyacheslav
Volodin praised the budget, stating it demonstrates that the political and economic systems established by President Vladimir Putin have not
just endured sanctions however are working effectively.The costs now heads to the upper-house Federation Council for approval on Wednesday
before being signed into law by Putin, who had focused on defense spending in the federal government budget.While defense spending is
projected to decline slightly in 2026 and 2027, to 12.8 trillion rubles ($126.7 billion) and 13.1 trillion rubles ($129.7 billion), the
figures suggest Russias economy will stay on a war footing for the foreseeable future.
