Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Russia's economy is now so militarized, it may keep expanding its army even after the Ukraine war
Business Insider ^ | Jul 28, 2025 | Huileng Tan

Posted on 07/28/2025 3:23:04 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

Russia's war machine has become such an integral part of its economic engine that its military industry is likely to keep expanding even after the fighting in Ukraine ends, according to a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"The end of hostilities will not lead to a radical cut-off of military investment," wrote CSIS analysts in a report published on Thursday.

Now in its fourth year, Russia's war with Ukraine continues even as Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration weathers sweeping Western sanctions. And while cracks are starting to show, the Russian economy may still be able to sustain the war effort for several more years, the report said.

Defense spending is set to hit a post-Soviet record of 6.3% of GDP in 2025 and could climb even higher despite mounting signs of economic slowdown or recession.

"Russia's economy appears sustainable for the next few years," the CSIS analysts wrote. They forecast that the Kremlin could maintain its war of attrition through at least 2027.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Russia
KEYWORDS: huilengtan; nationofserfs; putinthewarpig; russiansuicide; vladtheimploder
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-64 next last

1 posted on 07/28/2025 3:23:04 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
Russia's economy is now so militarized, it may keep expanding its army even after the Ukraine war

Yeah, that'll definitely help their economy. Wonder what they'll do with all that military weapons technology.

2 posted on 07/28/2025 3:25:59 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Putin has turned killing and destruction into a for-profit enterprise.

Sickening.


3 posted on 07/28/2025 3:28:15 PM PDT by Apparatchik (Русские свиньи, идите домой)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Not sure if it’s true.

But supposedly Russia and Ukraine were ready to make a peace deal in 2022 until the neocon Boris Johnson talked Ukraine out of it.

Now 1-2 million KIA and WIA later we see no end to the slaughter.

Thanks Johnson.

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/official-johnson-forced-kyiv-to-refuse-russian-peace-deal/


4 posted on 07/28/2025 3:31:13 PM PDT by Phoenix8
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Apparatchik
Putin has turned killing and destruction into a for-profit enterprise. Sickening.

Yeah!

Only US weapons manufacturers are allowed to do that!

5 posted on 07/28/2025 3:33:54 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of racism, anger, hate and violence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

If they can’t sell oil, the main way to raise money may be to sell weapons. The only way to sell weapons is to prove their effectiveness. So far in Ukraine, that record appears spotty. Buying drones from Iran doesn’t look good there. Neither does the Israelis taking out Iranian anti-aircraft batteries.


6 posted on 07/28/2025 3:35:09 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
Defense spending is set to hit a post-Soviet record of 6.3% of GDP in 2025 and could climb even higher despite mounting signs of economic slowdown or recession.

And with ever-increasing Russian defence spending increasing the Russian GDP... Pushing the Russian GDP to infinity and beyond.

Or maybe not?

7 posted on 07/28/2025 3:36:39 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT ( "The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last messag)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

I thought the Russians were getting low on cannon fodder replacement materials.


8 posted on 07/28/2025 3:37:32 PM PDT by lee martell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Apparatchik

“Putin has turned killing and destruction into a for-profit enterprise.

Sickening.”

The military industrial complex has been around since about 2344 BCE


9 posted on 07/28/2025 3:38:45 PM PDT by READINABLUESTATE (‘Never trust a man whose uncle was eaten by cannibals’)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

“6.3% of GDP in 2025”

That’s 1.3% more than the EU defense spending target of 5% for members.

‘Big Bear’ going to roll over and die.


10 posted on 07/28/2025 3:42:12 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Apparatchik

Sort of like the U.S.


11 posted on 07/28/2025 3:45:11 PM PDT by GrumpyOldGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

This is your weekly reminder that Russia invaded Ukraine, not vice versa.


12 posted on 07/28/2025 3:47:20 PM PDT by Apparatchik (Русские свиньи, идите домой)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Apparatchik; Steely Tom
Yeah, that'll definitely help their economy. Wonder what they'll do with all that military weapons technology.

Sell them.

Putin has turned killing and destruction into a for-profit enterprise.

Sickening.

Are all the Top Ten arms exporter nations "sickening"? (Note the U.S. tops the list.)

1. United States of America

2. France

3. Russia

4. China

5. Germany

6. Italy

7. United Kingdom

8. Israel

9. Spain

10. South Korea

13 posted on 07/28/2025 3:52:22 PM PDT by Angelino97
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Given the Russia government from World War II through the Cold War to now, this is nothing new. They spend more of their GDP on their military than their rivals and end up with less to show for it. Especially when they break their own banks.


14 posted on 07/28/2025 3:53:24 PM PDT by Widget Jr (⚖⛓️☭ Russia is the career criminal of countries. ☭⛓️⚖)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Carry_Okie

“the main way to raise money may be to sell weapons.”

The main way major governments raise money is through income taxation.

Exporting oil allows Russia to get foreign currency to buy machine tools, integrated circuit (IC) lithographic devices, and luxury goods from Europe and consumer stuff from China.

Russia’s gold production will enable it to buy all the machine tools and IC making equipment it needs and can’t make itself.

You can be sure Russia has loaded up on machine tools and IC-making equipment. The war has gone on for two & half years. The Russians got when the getting was possible.

Giving the choice of making do or doing without, the Russians make do. Western suppliers have gotten replaced.

When I was born in 1958, the US imported a few vehicles, lots of German and Japanese photo equipment, some British cultural media and some French luxury goods. Most everything US consumers bought was made in the USA.

We survived - 1959 - 1960 - 1961 ...


15 posted on 07/28/2025 3:58:10 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Phoenix8

What was the peace deal ? Giving up Ukranian land for peace ? That was a nonstarter.


16 posted on 07/28/2025 3:58:27 PM PDT by libh8er
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

You mean like the U.S.?


17 posted on 07/28/2025 4:04:43 PM PDT by dljordan (The Rewards of Tolerance are Treachery and Betrayal)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steely Tom

BI is worthless as a news source. Trust nothing you see there.


18 posted on 07/28/2025 4:08:21 PM PDT by iamgalt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: libh8er

It did not have to be.

Many nations in Europe have seen their borders change for hundreds of years.

And if Ukraine loses they might cease to be a nation at all.


19 posted on 07/28/2025 4:10:03 PM PDT by Phoenix8
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Apparatchik
This is your weekly reminder that Russia invaded Ukraine, not vice versa.

This is your weekly reminder that for decades NATO kept expanding to surround the border with Russia, staged troops and weapons there, and built biological weapons labs.

The need for NATO ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall, but like all bureaucracies NATO continued to exist long after it was useful, and like all bureaucracies it expanded like a metastatic cancer until it finally poked the bear enough to get the response it wanted.


20 posted on 07/28/2025 4:10:39 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of racism, anger, hate and violence.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-64 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson