Vladimir Putin’s shock choice of Andrei Belousov, an economist, as protection minister is the clearest signal but that Russia has shifted its economic system onto a conflict footing and that the destiny of Russian forces in Ukraine relies upon closely on successful an arms manufacturing race with the West.
“Belousov’s appointment is, partly, a recognition of how central the conflict has grow to be to the economic system, and the way central the economic system is to the conflict,” mentioned Sam Greene, a professor of Russian politics at King’s Faculty London.
