Russia's budget deficit has exceeded one trillion rubles: what it means for the war

At the Eastern Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia 'can afford' further increases in the budget deficit due to infrastructure projects, social spheres, and the war against Ukraine, as reported by the Center for Counteracting Disinformation.

The real situation with the budget deficit in Russia

However, experts emphasize that the president's statements are manipulative. Russia's budget deficit has already exceeded the annual plan by more than one trillion rubles, which is about 12.5 billion dollars. According to the Center, the income of the Russian treasury is decreasing due to low oil prices and a general slowdown in the economy, and funding is mainly directed towards conducting war against Ukraine.

Putin's participation in the Eastern Economic Forum did not leave many indifferent, especially in light of his statement about a possible increase in the budget deficit. However, experts point out that the real situation with finances in Russia is far from the optimistic comments of the president, as the deficit has already significantly exceeded the projected indicators due to a number of economic problems in the country.