After he's moved some of Russia's abundant supply of troops to the border, maybe he can also match increasing NATO military spending. Ignore the US, only match Europe. The EU's GDP is over 20 trilion * 2% target = 400 billion.

Russia's currently at 69.5 billion spending, so a 450% increase should get it near EU spending. That works out at roughly 20% of GDP. Maybe increase refinery production and export a bit more oil or export gas to some of the more affluent markets.

Good luck!

I'm sure we'll all be saying "Mission Accomplished" on a very 'special' president's 'special' military operation very soon.

[–] TheChurn@kbin.social 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (7 children)

The raw spending figure isn't what is important, but the PPP figure. Russia's economy is about 1/5th the size of the EU's in PPP, and its defense sector is vastly more efficient on a monetary basis than the west - The US alone has given Ukraine close to $60 billion and it is a fraction of the hardware that Russia has produced with fewer dollars.

This isn't a 'Russia stronk, Europe bad' post, it just bears emphasizing that Russia has a large industrial base and has brought much of it into arms production over the past two years. The West hasn't, and defense procurement remains an almost artisanal process where high tech goods are bought - in low volumes - at inflated prices.

[–] KevonLooney@lemm.ee 26 points 1 year ago (6 children)

PPP doesn't really matter in modern warfare. A modern stealth fighter bomber (F-35) is expensive no matter what currency you use.

Russia only has a cost advantage in anything you can mass produce, like bullets or dumb artillery shells. The US and Europe have insane smart artillery shells and RPGs that completely destroy Russian tanks, personnel carriers, and dug in positions. They're expensive no matter who makes them.

Modern weapons and tactics are force multipliers. Money is not really an issue in warfare, only production capacity. The War Production Board in WW2 forced businesses to produce what the military needed at non-inflated prices. Car manufacturers were forced to make tanks and jeeps.

[–] Simulation6@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I saw a video of a Ukrainian drone 'factory', which was a large room with some 3D printers and some assembly benches. I think defense spending cost needs to be re-evaluated as a metric.

[–] Ooops@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago

That's because those drones aren't actual weapons. They become ones when merged with existing stocks of old ammunition you already have stocked.

They are (relatively) cheap conversion kits for obsolete shells they have lying around in the 100 thousands and more.

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