The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky today signed into law the 2025 budget, of which just over €50 billion, or 60% of spending, will go to defense and security to counter Russian aggression.

“The priority of the budget is the protection of our country, it includes the financing of the security and defense forces, the purchase and production of weapons, drones and equipment,” Prime Minister Dennis Schmihal said on Telegram.

The budget, totaling around 82 billion euros, was previously approved by Ukrainian lawmakers on November 19.

OR Ukrainewhich has fewer weapons, fewer front-line recruits and fewer funds than Russia, has been forced to increase its defense spending to support the war effort as the Russian invasion approaches its third year.

In total, a little more than 50 billion euros will be spent on defense and national security, which includes arms production and soldiers’ salaries, according to the finance ministry.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine since February 2022 has devastated the national economy, destroyed numerous infrastructures, caused significant economic losses and prompted the West to massively aid Kiev.

The departure of millions of Ukrainians abroad has also strongly affected the state’s tax revenues.

The Ukrainian army has been facing difficulties for several months on the battlefield against Russian troops, which are advancing in several sectors of the front.

Yesterday, on the Russian side, the upper house of the Russian parliament approved the draft budget for the period 2025-2027, which foresees a steep rise in defense spending this year, at a rate of 30%. The 2025 budget predicts that Russia’s defense spending will reach almost 13,500 billion. rubles (about 119 billion euros at today’s exchange rate), more than 6% of Russian GDP. A total of at least 40% of the Russian federal budget for 2025 will be devoted to defense and national security. Already in 2024, Russia’s defense spending has increased by almost 70% year-on-year, representing, together with security investments, 8.7% of the country’s GDP, according to Putin. This happened for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, more than 30 years ago.

The arrival of the unpredictable Donald Trump in the US presidency next January has Kiev fearing that the US will reduce or completely cut off US aid, which is so vital to Ukraine in fending off the Russian military.