The Russian government’s new draft budget for 2025 through 2027 was introduced to the State Duma this week in its first reading. The state’s proposed spending exceeds earlier predictions, with 41.5 trillion rubles (more than $435 billion) allocated for next year alone — and that may not be the final amount. A record share of the budget is classified as “secret” or “top secret” — nearly a third of all proposed expenditures. 

To discuss the draft budget, focusing on allocations to the military, The Naked Pravda welcomed back Alexandra Prokopenko, a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, a former columnist for the business newspaper Vedomosti, and a former senior advisor at Russia’s Central Bank.

Timestamps for this episode:

• (2:26) Breaking down Russia’s next round of federal spending on the military and national security
• (4:08) Economic implications and rising taxes
• (7:18) Russia’s National Wealth Fund and budget deficit
• (10:14) Patriotism and public-sector funding
• (11:54) Domestic (in)security
• (15:12) Lobbying and budget allocations
• (21:45) Western Sanctions and Russia’s economic resilience

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