Anonymous7 days ago
Vladimir Putin met privately with Russia's top businessmen on March 26, 2026, asking them to make "voluntary contributions" to the federal budget as plummeting oil revenues and record military spending push Russia's finances toward a breaking point. Billionaire Suleiman Kerimov reportedly pledged 100 billion rubles ($1.23 billion), while the Kremlin simultaneously prepares 10% cuts to non-military spending — raising questions about whether the move reflects genuine fiscal desperation or a calculated power play to bind oligarchs more tightly to the war effort.