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Putin is repeating Brezhnev’s basic error
Yahoo • • world
Key Points:
- The Kremlin plans to raise its defence spending by 27% in 2027, fueling Western fears that Vladimir Putin aims to provoke a broader conflict with NATO despite setbacks in Ukraine.
- NATO officials and European intelligence warn that Russia could test NATO's defenses within months, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently warning Putin of the risks of confrontation.
- The increased military budget, amounting to £154 billion and over 7% of Russia's GDP, will exacerbate economic hardships for ordinary Russians amid falling incomes and cuts to essential public services.
- The conflict has caused massive Russian military casualties and economic damage, with sanctions and Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure worsening the situation and raising concerns of a potential Soviet-style economic collapse.
- Putin's decision to boost defence spending despite economic decline and ongoing peace talks may reflect a strategic gamble that risks repeating the Soviet Union's mistakes and potentially leading to regime collapse.
