The parliamentarians in Putin's party received a clear directive on Russia's “war” budget for 2026

Former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev qualified the budget project for 2026, currently in preparation, as a “war budget” and said that social expenses, including the support given to the veterans of the conflict, should not be sacrificed to balance finances, informs Reuters.

The Russian government must present to the Parliament, until October 1, the draft budget for 2026, as well as the revised figure for this year. It is expected that this year's deficit will exceed the planned level of 1.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Medvedev, who is currently the vice -president of the Russian Security Council and has noticed by the provocative statements on the social networks, is also the leader of the united Russia party, the formation that owns the parliamentary majority.

“The budget is never easy, and now, honestly, it is a war budget,” Medvedev told the parliamentarians of the united Russia party, before the debates on the project. He rejected the term “balanced budget”, cataloging it as a “euphemism”.

“The development of the country should not be sacrificed in the name of a so-called balance,” Medvedev added, mentioning multiple social expense programs, which were part of the electoral promises of the United Russian Party, the formation from which President Vladimir Putin comes.

Russia's economic growth will slow down to at least 1.2% in 2025, the fourth year of the Ukraine War, from 4.3% in 2024. President Vladimir Putin has expressed, on September 15, the dissatisfaction with the slowdown in economic growth.

Combined expenses for defense and national security will reach 17 trillion rubles ($ 204 billion) in 2025, the highest value after the Cold War. This amount represents 41% of the total expenses and will make the defense sector the main engine of economic growth in Russia, notes Reuters.