Russia reduces defence spending due to economic crisis

Russia said that it will reduce its defensive expenditures as well as national security spending in the next three years due to the current economic crisis.

Ernest Valeev, Deputy Head of the Security and Anti-Corruption Committee of the Duma (lower house), said on Tuesday the budget allocations for national security and the activities of law enforcement agencies will also experience a small annual cut, Efe news reported.

Thus, he said, defence spending this year will represent 2.3 per cent of GDP, while in 2017 it will be 2.2 per cent, 2 per cent in 2018 and 1.9 per cent in 2019.

Apparently, there will not be cuts in the salaries of the military, a section that Russian President Vladimir Putin considered untouchable, along with the aerial campaign in Syria.

Rearmament programs will also not be affected, as the head of Kremlin ordered the government last September to prepare a new plan about it until 2025, which will complement the already existing one, whose main objective is to maintain nuclear parity with the US.

--IANS

pgh/