GILBERT DOCTOROW—Western electronic and print media have given considerable attention to the speeches that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Shoigu delivered yesterday before a gathering of top military personnel.
Putin spoke about the ability of his government to satisfy all requests for funding that may arise from the armed forces. Indeed, it is rumored that the Russian military budget will double in 2023. Moreover, this increased spend is only partially about the operational costs of the war in Ukraine. What we see is a wholly new concept for the Russian forces prompted by the understanding that Russia is engaged in what will be a ‘long war’ against the United States and NATO.