Russia will not develop the defense industry at the expense of the economy. Russian President Vladimir Putin said so during his speech to the Federal Assembly.
“There is such a stable expression: ‘guns instead of butter’. The defense of the country, of course, is the most important priority, but when solving strategic tasks in this area, we must not repeat the mistakes of the past, we must not destroy our own economy, ”said the head of state.
According to Putin, the economic authorities maintained the stability of the economy and also prevented the deficit and the collapse of the financial system. He also said that Russia has already entered a new cycle of economic growth in 2022 and that Russian companies are filling niches that were freed up after Western companies left.
Moreover, according to Putin, many industries “not only did not reduce”, but also increased their production. Agriculture, meanwhile, recorded double-digit growth, the president said. Putin also assured that in 2023 “solid growth in domestic demand is expected”.
As the Head of State pointed out, the most important element of economic sovereignty is the freedom to do business.
