The publication notes that US President Donald Trump insists on Russia's superiority over Ukraine, but economists predict that the economy of the aggressor country will face new problems in the oil sector, a possible banking crisis and “consumer turmoil.”
The Kremlin has used up most of the Russian Federation's cash reserves and borrowed funds, which fueled a sharp increase in military spending, but “even bigger problems lie ahead,” the media writes.
According to him, next year new tough sanctions against the oil sector may be introduced against the Russian Federation, which will worsen the shortage of money, and this, in turn, will lead to a banking crisis.
One of The Washington Post's interlocutors from among Russian officials admitted that a crisis of non-payments is possible, and noted that he does not even want to think about continuing the war.
The media recalls that, according to Reuters, in December, Russia’s oil and gas revenues, which are crucial for the state budget, will decrease by 49% compared to the previous year, and the budget deficit of the aggressor country will reach a record $149 billion in the first three quarters of 2025.
Among other things, the media drew attention, the largest Russian energy companies, Gazprom and Rosneft (they were generally subject to US sanctions), faced growing financial pressure, and this despite the fact that the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin extended tax benefits to them.
Previously, the Russian military machine “largely” relied on taxes from energy giants for its funding, the media writes.
The Washington Post notes that one of the Russian workers publicly admitted that “people can no longer pay their loans” and “a huge amount of debt has accumulated.”
An unnamed Russian scientist quoted by the publication believes that while the growth of economic problems will not lead to social or political problems, 2026 will be “the first difficult year of the military operation,” as its war against Ukraine is officially called in the Russian Federation.
Context
Bloomberg reported in July that the Russian economy, which has long demonstrated stability despite international sanctions, is now “is showing more and more cracks,” but Putin is unlikely to back down and abandon military action in Ukraine.
A senior NATO official comments LIGA.net stated that Russia could continue war financing against Ukraine at least until 2027.
Putin believes rumors about the decline of the Russian economy too exaggerated. According to the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Oleg Ivashchenko, Putin’s entourage is afraid to voice to him the real state of the economy.
