Russia sticks with enhanced military spending despite economic downturn and cuts in

[pampango]

social spending.

Russia to Stick to Costly Rearmament Plan in 2015

Despite Russia's economic troubles, the Defense Ministry will continue to focus on its ambitious 500 trillion ruble ($350 billion) rearmament plan in 2015, state news agency TASS reported Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying on Tuesday.

Shoigu said the army is expected to receive 700 new armored vehicles, 1,550 vehicles of various other types, 126 airplanes, 88 helicopters and two brigades of Iskander-M missiles in 2015. The navy, for its part, should receive two refurbished submarines and five surface vessels, TASS reported. Shoigu also said that 1,600 new infrastructure projects will be completed for the military in 2015, topping last year's 1,260. Improving and expanding housing, medical facilities and training ranges are a key part of the military's modernization effort.

These costly improvements, however, come at a time of increasing economic uncertainty in Russia as the falling oil price hammers the federal budget. The plan has been further complicated by a Ukrainian ban on military equipment sales to Russia, which has forced Russia to seek domestic substitutes.

Along with new equipment, the Defense Ministry is pushing to attract a new class of soldier into the conscript-heavy military: volunteers. Shoigu said that by the end of 2015 the military hopes to recruit 52,000 volunteer soldiers. At the end of 2014, some 300,000 contract soldiers were serving in the military, 70,000 of whom joined last year.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-to-stick-to-costly-rearmament-plan-in-2015/514305.html

What You Need to Know About Joining the Russian Army

On December 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Russian Defense Ministry's budget would be increased to $50 billion in 2015.

On December 5, Putin told the Russian government to cut budget expenditures by at least five percent in 2015-2017, specifically noting that the cuts should not affect expenditures for national defense and security.

http://sputniknews.com/business/20141226/1016263160.html

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Quick! Send more money to the Pentagon and MIC!!

[pampango]

2. One would hope that Obama and others would just smile and let Russia spend itself into oblivion on

its military. Their citizens will suffer from misplaced priorities just like ours do.

One thing we can be sure of is that republicans will play the "Look at Russia's military spending. We have to keep up."

Given our history that may be a forlorn hope that we not mimic the Russian government. We have never shown much ability to learn from the mistakes or successes of other countries. Our 'exceptionalism' means that we have to do everything our way.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. I doubt that there's any "maybe" about it. "Defense" is the sacred cow of this country.

Oblivion still has room for both countries.

[pampango]

12. "Oblivion still has room for both countries." True. Let us only hope that Russia and the US

do not drag the rest of the world into that "oblivion".

It would be great if the countries and people who are not "defense spending"-loving were to emerge with peace and prosperity while the US and Russia sank into the great "oblivion" resulting from a devotion to the military rather than looking after people. Unfortunately countries with large armies have a history of spoiling things for everyone else.

"Defense" is the sacred cow of this country.

Also true. The "American" gut reaction always seems to be: Don't try to learn to live with the rest of the world; just build more tanks and planes so that the rest of the world cannot do anything about what America wants to do.

[pinboy3niner]

8. That's what makes it so sad

Ordinary people will suffer for the ego and arrogance their leaders, and all for nothing.

[ladjf]

4. Putin's megalomania drives his actions. He is out of control. nt

[Donald Ian Rankin]

5. Putin never got the memo that the cold war was over...

[leftynyc]

6. Isn't that what led

to the collapse of the soviets?

[11 Bravo]

7. Clearly, Putin not wearing shirts saves them a bundle!

[elias49]

9. Wow! Sounds like the United States!

Enhance the military while more than half the population is "poor".
And kids aren't eating.
And our infrastructure crumbles.

Pot and kettle both going to s***.

[Lurks Often]

10. Given Russia's history, they tend to be a bit paranoid

In just the 20th Century Russia lost 25 million people in WWII alone, plus Russia has been invaded by the Germans twice, the Japanese, the Poles, the British & Americans (Russian Civil War) and there apparently have been some border skirmishes with China as well.

[pampango]

11. I suspect that overspending on the military is usually the result of paranoia of one form or another

Europe is awash with countries that have been invaded by other European countries many times throughout history. Fortunately they have finally learned that building militaries does not stop wars. Cooperating with each other is much more effective at that.

Of course, the far right in Europe is pushing hard to promote the competing nationalisms that had been pushed into the background since WWII. Let's hope that the far-right's "France for the French", "Germany for the Germans" and "Russia for the Russians" does not lead where it has led so many times in the past.

[Lurks Often]

13. You'd be surprised, the European Union spends more on the military

then everybody else except the U.S.