Russia plans to spend 17.1 trillion rubles, about $205 billion, on defense in 2027, according to government documents reviewed by Reuters.
uncertain
Russia → plan → Reuters
That is 27% more than the country had originally budgeted for the year.
asserted
country → budget → year
Moscow intends to spend 50 trillion rubles ($600 billion) on defense over the next three years, while cutting planned funding for welfare, education, and healthcare.
asserted
Moscow → intend → welfare
It will raise taxes and borrow more to cover the costs.
asserted
It → raise → costs
Russia does not publish its full military spending.
asserted
Russia → publish → spending
Still, it’s clear that Vladimir Putin is reorganizing the state’s finances around a war he expects to continue.
asserted
he → ’ → war
He is prepared to impose higher costs on the Russian people to wage that war.
asserted
He → impose → war
Yet, while Moscow is reorganizing its budget and society around the war, Europe and the United States, with their vastly greater resources, are dithering.
asserted
Europe → reorganize → resources
Europe has raised defense spending and helped keep Ukraine in the fight, yet in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, neither Brussels nor Washington has organized weapons production around the demands of a prolonged war.
asserted
Brussels → raise → war
Europe’s 27 EU members are projected to spend about $515 billion on defense this year, more than twice Russia’s planned $203 billion for 2027.
asserted
members → project → 2027
Russia buys much of its military labor and equipment at lower domestic prices, so its budget goes further.
asserted
budget → buy → prices
It also puts a far greater share of its economy into the military.
asserted
It → put → military
Russia spent an estimated 7.5% of GDP on defense in 2025.
asserted
Russia → spend → 2025
The EU is projected to spend 2.4% in 2026.
asserted
EU → project → 2026
Europe’s average also ignores the geographic divide.
asserted
average → ignore → divide
Poland is spending close to 5% of GDP on defense, and Estonia has committed more than 5% to defense-related spending this year.
asserted
Estonia → spend → spending
Both countries live close to the Russian threat.
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countries → live → threat
Larger economies farther west are raising their budgets, but Europe as a whole has yet to turn its money into forces and production suited to a long war.
asserted
Europe → raise → war
Last week, the European Defence Agency told EU leaders that current plans were unlikely to close gaps in air and missile defense, drones, and ammunition by 2030.
asserted
plans → tell → 2030
The agency found that increased investment had yet to produce enough forces that could be deployed and sustained.
uncertain
that → find → forces
President Donald Trump has proposed a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027, a 44% rise from the previous year.
asserted
Trump → propose → 2027
The administration projects that the budget will fall at around 3.6% of the country’s GDP.
asserted
budget → project → GDP
Some of this money will go toward replenishing munitions used in the Iran war.
asserted
Some → go → war
The Pentagon wants to raise production of Patriot air defense munitions to 2,000 a year, for example.
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Pentagon → want → example
The problem is that this will require funding, spare parts, and factory expansion.
asserted
this → require → funding
Missiles requested in the 2027 budget are not expected to begin arriving until 2029.
asserted
Missiles → request → 2029
If a few months of fighting Iran depleted an estimated two-thirds of America’s Patriot inventory, what would happen in a long war with Russia or China?
asserted
what → fight → Russia
Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv again on Wednesday, damaging energy facilities and killing civilians.
asserted
missiles → strike → civilians
Moscow has been striking the capital relentlessly for most of the month.
asserted
Moscow → strike → month
Ukraine also faces a $27 billion gap in this year’s war costs.
asserted
Ukraine → face → costs
Its government says it can cover $7 billion through spending cuts and needs allies to provide the remaining $20 billion.
asserted
allies → say → billion
Thus, while Russia has budgeted for another year of war, Ukraine is still looking for the money and missiles to get through this one.
asserted
Ukraine → budget → one
The Aporia
