Russia is building up its capability to launch a “large scale war” against the West in its pursuit of world domination, it has been claimed. The Kremlin is planning to invest a massive US$1.1 trillion (£813bn) to rebuild its military over the next 11 years, according to the head of Ukraine’s intelligence chief.
Kyrylo Budanov told a meeting of Ukrainian ambassadors on Tuesday that Vladimir Putin was embarking on the most ambitious weapons program since the collapse of the Soviet Union. At the same time the Kremlin was mobilising all sectors of society to support its military buildup. Everything indicates preparation for a future large-scale war, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate said.
“There is a total mobilisation of politics, economy, and society of the Russian Federation to be ready for the upcoming large-scale war,” he warned.
As part of its preparations, Russia has already created two new military districts — Moscow and Leningrad — and is preparing to form additional divisions and military units.
Budanov argued that Putin’s goal remains a fundamental reshaping of the global order to maximise Russian power. “Moscow’s goal is to impose on countries its own vision of the future world order, where ‘big’ states, primarily the Russian Federation, have full power, a monopoly on all critical resources and decide the fate of the world in a closed circle,” he said.
The Kremlin is already pouring billions of pounds into its defence sector and military, as it continues its war in Ukraine. In 2024, its military budget surged by 42% to US$462 billion, surpassing Europe’s collective defence expenditure of US$457 billion, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
This year the Kremlin is planning to spend around 15.5 trillion roubles (£146billion), a real-terms increase of 3.4% over 2024 and equivalent to 7.2% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Numerous Western officials have warned about Russia’s ability to launch an attack on NATO. The alliance’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte recently stated that Russia could mount a military operation against a member state within the next five years.
While last year, German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl also said that Moscow will have the military capabilities to attack NATO by 2030.
In an op-ed for The Atlantic, Elena Davlikanova and Yevhenii Malik argued that Putin’s main goal for now was to bring about the collapse of Nato, rather than seize territory. “This can be achieved by taking advantage of NATO’s reluctance to risk war with Russia, and by capitalising on the alliance’s slow response to the growing dominance of drone warfare,” they said.
“The Kremlin can also easily escalate its existing hybrid war against the West including cyber attacks, information offensives, sabotage operations, and targeted assassinations.”