Vladimir Putin is preparing for war with NATO in the coming years, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) announced in a new report.
Russia’s long-term rearmament plans further show that the Kremlin is preparing for a potential future conflict with NATO. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia plans to spend $1.1 trillion on rearmament by 2036.
Russia is further mobilizing its society and economy in preparation for a future large-scale war.
Putin recently said that Russia’s military budget for 2025 is 13.5 trillion rubles (approximately $172 billion) and that Russia plans to gradually reduce defense spending starting in 2026. However, it is unclear exactly how much Russia spends on military and defense-industrial procurement, given the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to hide its national budget from domestic and foreign audiences.
According to Kirill Budanov, Russia's restoration of the Moscow and Leningrad Military Districts and ongoing efforts to form new divisions based on existing units and formations provide insight into the long-term plans of the Russian Federation.