Russian President, Vladimir Putin has approved a record-breaking defense budget, setting aside a staggering third of the government’s total spending .
The budget for 2025, which was published Sunday, allocates about $126 billion (13.5 trillion rubles) to national defense which is about 32.5% of government spending.
The defense budget is about $28 billion (three trillion rubles) higher than the previous record set for 2024.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. Moscow is currently making gains at key spots along the front lines and fighting a counteroffensive in Kursk region, the site of Kyiv’s only major military success this year.
The new three-year budget forecasts a slight reduction in military spending for 2026 and 2027. Lawmakers in both houses of the Russian parliament approved the budget.
The slow, grinding war has drained the resources of Ukraine as well as Russia .
Ukraine has received billions of dollars in help from its Western allies, including more than half a billion in new military equipment pledged by Germany on Monday.
How much aid will continue to come from the United States once President-elect Donald Trump takes office remains to be seen and even though Russia has more weapons, more ammunition and more personnel, the strain on its economy and population is growing.