Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok
St. Petersburg Economic Forum, Putin: “Obliged to increase defense spending”. First nuclear weapons in Belarus
Inflation close to an all-time low of 2.9%, a GDP growth Russian up to 2% in 2023, attempts to break free from dependence from the sale of raw materials, the lunge to the Ukrainian president Zelensky and the tribute to the former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi: the Russian president Vladimir Putinspeaking at the Economic Forum of St.Pietroburgoflaunts optimism about the economy and reassures the country about “Ukrainian mobilisation”.
Lo zar in fact, it expects growth of up to 2% of Russian GDP in 2023, after last year’s contraction due to Western sanctions for the war in Ukraine. “Positive macroeconomic trends are gaining momentum and strength. I agree with the experts who predict growth up to 1.5 or maybe even 2 percent,” Putin said. “Overall, Russia’s public finances” are “balanced”, but Moscow had to increase defense spending to strengthen security. “We have to do it to protect the sovereignty of our country”, said the Kremlin leader, arguing that “I must say that, in general, it was a justified intervention, also from an economic point of view”.
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