Russian President Vladimir Putin approved budget plans, raising military spending to record levels in 2025 as Moscow seeks to prevail in war in Ukraine.
About 32.5% of the budget published on Sunday on the government’s website is allocated to national defense, amounting to 13.5 trillion rubles (over 145 billion dollars), which is more than the reported 28.3% this year.
Representatives of both houses of the Russian parliament, the State Duma and the Federation Council, have already approved the plans in the past 10 days.
Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine since February 2022 is the largest conflict in Europe since World War II and has drained the resources of both sides. Kiev has been receiving billions of dollars in aid from its Western allies, but Russian forces are larger and better equipped, and in recent months the Russian military has been gradually pushing back Ukrainian troops in eastern areas.
The new EU leaders in Kyiv promised to continue supporting Ukraine
New European Council President Antonio Costa and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, marking their first day in office with a strong message of support for Ukraine. Their visit comes at a time when suspicions are deepening what Kyiv can expect from the new American administration led by Donald Trump.
“From the first day of the war, the EU stood by Ukraine,” Costa posted on X, along with a photo of himself, Kallas and EU enlargement chief Marta Kos. “From the first day of our mandate, we reaffirm our unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.”
Speaking at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Costa reiterated the EU’s recent commitment to help Ukraine continue its war, including 4.2 billion euros ($4.4 billion) to support Ukraine’s budget and 1.5 billion euros (1 .6 billion dollars) of aid every month from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets.
Asked if the EU would step up funding if Trump withdrew support, Costa said the bloc would “stand by Ukraine as long as it takes.”
Zelenskyy said that any future ceasefire negotiations with Russia should include EU and NATO representatives, as Ukraine sees itself as its future security in both alliances. However, he said he did not see what such talks would focus on, adding that Ukraine “will never legally recognize any occupation of our lands by the Russian Federation.”
He called on the outgoing Biden administration to use the remaining two months in office to influence “those few European skeptics about our future. I don’t see anything, I personally don’t see any risks, and most NATO countries don’t see any risks from the recommendation regarding the positive future of Ukraine’s membership in NATO.”
Zelenskyy said on Friday that an offer of NATO membership to the territory controlled by Kiev would end the “hot phase of the war”.
3 killed in Ukraine and a child killed in a drone attack in Russia
On the ground in Ukraine, three people were killed in the southern city of Kherson when a Russian drone crashed into a minibus on Sunday morning, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Seven more people were wounded in the attack.
Meanwhile, the number of wounded in Saturday’s rocket attack in Dnieper in central Ukraine rose to 24, with seven in serious condition, Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said. Four people were killed in the attack.
Moscow sent 78 drones to Ukraine overnight Sunday, Ukrainian officials said. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, 32 drones were destroyed and another 45 drones were lost, possibly due to electronic jamming.
In Russia, a child was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, according to regional governor Alexander Bogomaz.
The Russian Defense Ministry said 29 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight Sunday in four regions of western Russia: 20 over the Bryansk region, seven over the Kaluga region, and one each over the Smolensk and Kursk regions.
