Putin Supports Trump’s Military Budget Cut Proposal, But China Rejects Idea

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for a proposal by US President Donald Trump to reduce military budgets by half for Russia, the United States, and China. In a televised interview, Putin said, “I think it’s a good idea. The US would cut by 50 percent, we would cut by 50 percent, and China could join if it wanted.”
Earlier this month, Trump suggested the possibility of slashing military spending and organizing a three-way meeting with the leaders of Russia and China. On February 13, Trump remarked, “One of the first meetings I want to have is with President Xi of China and President Putin of Russia. And I want to say: ‘Let’s cut our military budget in half’. And I think we’ll be able to do it.”
While the United States remains the world’s largest military spender, followed by China, Russia has significantly increased its military budget since launching its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has fueled both economic growth and inflation. Putin stated last year that defense and security spending in 2024 would account for approximately 8.7 percent of Russia’s GDP.
Although Putin emphasized that he couldn’t speak for China, he made it clear that Russia was open to discussions with the US on reducing defense spending, saying, “We think it’s a good proposal, and we are ready for a discussion about this.”
However, China swiftly rejected the idea. Chinese officials expressed that the proposal was not in line with Beijing’s defense strategy and priorities, dismissing the notion of cutting its military budget in half.
In addition to this, Putin suggested a potential collaboration with the United States on exploring rare earth deposits, including those in areas of Ukraine currently under Russian control. During an interview on state television, Putin highlighted that Russia holds some of the largest reserves of these resources in the far north, the Caucasus, Siberia, the Far East, and the so-called “new territories” of Ukraine. Putin had previously discussed mining development with government ministers and representatives in a video conference.