Vladimir Putin has asked Russian oligarchs to donate to the country’s defense budget. The request was conveyed during closed discussions with businessmen.
It is estimated that the Russian leader will continue the conflict until Moscow secures the remaining areas of the Donbas region, which are not under its control, writes the foreign press, according to news.ro. At least two businessmen told Putin that they are willing to contribute to the military budget.
Russia will negotiate with the USA within the framework of new rounds of talks, “as soon as conditions will allow”, stated the spokesperson of the Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov. According to him, Moscow has not lost its interest in discussions, however, it is necessary to solve key issues, including territorial ones.
The Kremlin’s defense budget has increased by 42%, reaching 13.1 trillion rubles (about 121 billion pounds sterling) last year.
Russia’s budget deficit for January and February exceeded 90% of the estimated level for the entire year, against the backdrop of US sanctions that forced Moscow to sell oil at significantly reduced prices.