Russian Defense Expenditure and Military Modernization

The event will be webcast live from this page.

For nearly a decade, Russia has been engaged in an ambitious plan to modernize its military. This has yielded impressive results. The country’s strategic nuclear forces were overhauled, while the army, navy and air force all now field capable and up-to-date equipment in large numbers. But how has Russia’s stagnant and apparently small economy managed to support this rapid expansion of military capabilities? How does Russia’s volume of military expenditure compare with other large powers? And will Russia be able to maintain a high level of military expenditure in the future?