Stories from Russia

Rosstat has recorded a record-breaking crisis of non-payments in the Russian economy totaling 8.2 trillion rubles. Regions are instructed to cut expenses to achieve this goal. This directive comes as the Kremlin responded to statements by the US President regarding communication with the Russian president. The government initially planned a deficit reduction to nearly 2 trillion rubles but has now set a target of 1 trillion rubles. Regions are recommended to cut spending, eliminate ineffective subsidies, and move businesses out of the shadow economy. Measures to reduce deficits will likely target the wealthiest regions to avoid cutting social spending. Finance Minister Siluanov noted the deficit represents a percentage of GDP. Swedish intelligence reports suggest Russia is heading toward a financial catastrophe despite increased oil revenues from the Iran war.

Russia has issued a formal critique regarding the strengthening of nuclear capabilities in the United Kingdom and France. Russia, the United States, France, Great Britain, and China are identified as the five nuclear powers that control their respective arsenals. Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran's nuclear program. Russian officials stated that Iran's enrichment of uranium to 60% has created a crisis in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump's stance that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons was noted, but the agreement's terms were questioned by Russian foreign ministry statements. This comes amid discussions about stable US-China relations and China's growing influence. Bilousov said that Russia considers attempts by non-regional players to establish a presence in Central Asia to be unacceptable.