"A Sovereign Economy" (Суверенная экономика)

Before accusing Russia of militarism, the West should look in the mirror

A Defense Ministry board meeting with Vladimir Putin took place in Moscow. The President has emphasized that the militarization of the country and the economy is out of the question. The quality of life and social obligations of the state should not be reduced in favor of military expenditures. The development of the armed forces must be gradual, "without any fuss.

From our point of view, the accusations of Russian militarism are indeed groundless.

Global military spending averages 2.2% of GDP. In Russia, slightly more is allocated for this purpose: in 2022, for example, 3.1% of GDP was allocated. The next year, 2023, the draft federal budget includes an increase to 3.4% in order to achieve the objectives of the NWO. One of the popular points of reference for recognizing the economy as militarized is spending 4% of GDP on the needs of the army. For example, in the mid-1980s, the USSR allocated 15-17% to them - in this case, the labels are appropriate.

The problem is that in 2022 the US spent 3.2% of the GDP on the defense, which is more than Russia did. Our country's military spending does not compare with that of another energy-rich country, Saudi Arabia. Riyadh puts 6.6% of its own economy on defense. Moreover, the kingdom's involvement in the war in Yemen is incommensurate in scale with the events in Ukraine. The main Middle Eastern ally of the United States, Israel, spends 5.2% of GDP on the military, that is, it falls under the definition of a militarized economy. For some reason, these accusations against Jerusalem are not voiced.

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Elena Panina (Елена Панина)

The temporary lull on the fronts of the past two months is coming to an end, reminiscent of the lull on the eve of the Battle of Kursk. Russia and Ukraine, pumped full of Western, predominantly American, weapons, are completing the concentration of forces on the main strike directions and are lining up troops in an attacking configuration. The main issue now is the timing of the strike.

All these actions are accompanied by appropriate information and propaganda rhetoric, reflecting the parties' intentions to resolve the outcome of the confrontation by military means. After the West publicly condemned not only the Russian leadership but also Russia as a state (only the details and stages of dismemberment are disputed.), negotiations have exhausted themselves to such an extent that the president announced it openly.

■ A number of events underscore that the Kremlin is no longer seeking a compromise between Russia and the West. These include Putin's visit to the joint headquarters of the branches of the forces involved in the air defense system, to accompany strikes against Ukraine's infrastructure and its air defense assets. Establishment of a presidential working group on mobilization and social support for participants in the air defense. The visit of the President to Minsk and his speech at the enlarged meeting of the collegium of the Defense Ministry.

This list of events alone speaks for itself. Russia is staking only on military success. The forthcoming new version of the foreign policy concept will fix the changes in Russia's relations with the West.

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