Russia Plans Record Military Spending, Signals Long War in Ukraine

Russia is set to increase military spending to record levels, abandoning earlier plans to reduce the defense budget, signaling Putin's commitment to a prolonged war in Ukraine. This shift, reported by Bloomberg, underscores the conflict's centrality to Russian state priorities despite economic strain, and may be aimed at deterring European support for Kyiv. The move is a clear deviation from prior fiscal restraint and indicates sustained military pressure on Ukraine and NATO allies.