The Russian invasion Russian reactions

The Russian defense budget increases to 1,500 billion

On Thursday, the Russian lower house voted through a budget proposal that, among other things, means that the country's defense spending will increase by around 30 percent in 2025, several media reports.

The Russian defense budget since the invasion of Ukraine has reached levels not seen since the era of the Soviet Union. The expenses next year will amount to the equivalent of 145 billion dollars (about 1⁠ 500 billion Swedish kronor).

The proposal was voted through with a large majority, only one person voted against. The budget proposal is to be discussed in a second round on November 14.

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Analysis: Few belligerents in Russia can make Putin seek help from North Korea

The North Korean aid to Russia, which comes in the form of thousands of soldiers, is said to have a psychological impact on the Ukrainian soldiers who are fighting to keep the Russian army away. That's what Keir Simmons and Natasha Lebedeva write in an analysis for NBC News.

Russia's message to Ukraine is that they can fight for a longer time. At the same time, Simmons and Lebedeva write that there are things that worry Putin.

"The few independent surveys conducted in Russia indicate that most people do not want to lose in Ukraine, but that they also do not want more war," they write.

The opportunities to call in new soldiers may therefore be limited. That could explain why Putin is enlisting the help of North Korea.

North Korea's decision to send troops to the Ukraine war also raises questions about China's close ties to the dictatorship. In an analysis in the New York Times, David Pierson writes that the decision "will test the ties like never before".

China tries to present itself as a peaceful great power, unlike the United States, he writes. That soldiers from close ally North Korea are now fighting Western-backed forces on behalf of another ally undermines that narrative.