“In regard to expenditures for defense and security, then these are really very considerable and it’s completely understandable that this is defined because of political reasons, but at the same time there are of course resources that need further optimization,” Medvedev said during a Finance Ministry meeting in Moscow.
In late January, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the government would not reduce its defense budget despite the downturn in the country's economy. At the same time, most budget categories would see expenses reduced by 10 percent.
In December 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to boost national defense spending to $50 billion in 2015.
Earlier the same month, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the country's defense and security spending was too high, accounting for one third of the federal budget.
