Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday that he has agreed to the possibility of Russia and the United States significantly reducing their military budgets. According to Putin, talks are underway between the two nations to cut defense spending by up to 50 percent.
Putin stated, “We can reach an agreement with the US to reduce military expenditure. We are not against it. This is a suggestion that I also agree with. The US will cut its military budget by 50 percent, and we will do the same. China can also join it if it wants.”
This unexpected declaration has sparked widespread debate in global political and defense circles, particularly as tensions between Russia and the West remain high amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. However, China was quick to distance itself from the proposal.
China’s reluctance to participate in this initiative became clear when Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded to a question posed by news agency AFP regarding whether Beijing would consider joining the military budget reduction plan.
Lin Jian said, “The readout of the phone conversation between President Putin and Xi Jinping has been released. You talked about defense expenditure. Global defense expenditure has increased significantly in recent years.”
He further elaborated, “According to the data, global defense expenditure in 2024 was $2.43 trillion, which is a record so far. The huge increase in global defense expenditure is due to increasing global insecurity. All countries are facing global security challenges. The international community, and especially the big countries, should take the initiative for world peace.”
Despite advocating for global stability, Lin Jian made it clear that China’s national security strategy was independent of any proposed defense budget limitations. He emphasized that “China is committed to peaceful progress. It is not appropriate to link the protection of national sovereignty, development-related interests, and maintaining world peace with limiting defense expenditure.”
China’s rejection of Putin’s suggestion is in line with its broader defense strategy. Beijing has long maintained a policy of “self-defense,” aiming to balance national security with economic development while refraining from direct military competition with any single nation.
China also pointed out that the U.S. and Russia possess nearly 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, arguing that these two nations should first take the lead in nuclear disarmament before expecting other countries to follow suit.
According to Dr. Rajan Kumar, an Associate Professor at the Center for Russian and Central Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Putin’s willingness to cut military spending is not surprising. He stated, “Agreements have been made between America and Russia to stop the arms race. Even the Soviet Union and America had many agreements. Russia’s economy is not strong enough to compete with the U.S. in arms. Russia will only benefit from this.”
Dr. Kumar added, “Now the real competition is between China and America, but China will not support any such proposal. China feels that it is still behind America in terms of military power and will not be ready to cut the defense budget until it equals America. Russia also does not want China to become a superpower in military strength, given their complex history as neighboring powers.”
Russia and China have shared a complicated history, marked by both cooperation and conflict. In 1969, the two countries clashed in a border war along the Amur and Ussuri Rivers. At one point, Russia even threatened China with nuclear retaliation, leading Beijing to adopt a cautious approach toward Moscow.
Despite agreements in 2004 that resolved some territorial disputes, underlying geopolitical tensions still persist. While China officially remains neutral in Russia’s war against Ukraine, it has significantly increased its oil and gas imports from Russia, providing an economic lifeline to Moscow amid Western sanctions.
Western analysts argue that China’s financial and strategic backing has indirectly supported Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine. European nations believe that Putin has received substantial assistance from China, even though Beijing has not directly supplied Moscow with weapons.
The London-based think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) released a report on February 12 stating that global military expenditure reached $2.46 trillion in 2024, marking an all-time high.
China’s official defense budget for 2024 was $236 billion, a 7.2% increase from the previous year. However, some experts believe China’s actual military spending is far higher than the figures reported. The American Enterprise Institute estimates China’s real military expenditure to be around $711 billion, bringing it close to the U.S. defense budget of $850 billion.
China has been aggressively modernizing its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) over the past few decades. President Xi Jinping’s vision is to transform China’s military into a world-class force by 2049, marking the centenary of Communist Party rule in China.
The United States views China’s rapid military expansion as a major geopolitical challenge. This concern is shared by key American allies, including India, Japan, and Taiwan, all of whom perceive China’s growing military power as a direct threat.
With military spending surging across Asia, neighboring countries have been compelled to increase their defense budgets in response to China’s growing military presence. Japan, in particular, has significantly increased its defense expenditure to counter potential threats from both China and North Korea’s nuclear advancements.
The Institute for Strategic Studies stated, “In 2024, the defense budget of Asian countries has seen a moderate growth. The neighboring countries are seeing China’s increasing military expenditure and the modernization of North Korea’s nuclear weapons as a threat. In such a situation, these countries have increased their defense budgets—especially Japan.”
Another major factor influencing global military spending is the evolving relationship between the United States and Russia. Since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, Russia and China have grown closer due to Western sanctions. However, a shift in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump could alter this dynamic.
Trump has indicated a willingness to redefine US-Russia relations, advocating for negotiations to end the Ukraine conflict and initiate talks on reducing military and nuclear expenditures. However, European allies and Ukraine are not part of these discussions, leading to concerns about how such an agreement would affect global security.
Trump has expressed a strong desire to engage directly with Putin, stating that once the Ukraine crisis is resolved, discussions on reducing global defense spending can begin. However, European leaders remain skeptical about Trump’s motivations, fearing that any concessions to Putin might come at the cost of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
If Trump proceeds with a major U.S.-Russia military budget reduction deal, it could significantly impact NATO, China, and the global military balance. However, China’s reluctance to join such an initiative suggests that a three-way military budget reduction agreement remains unlikely.
While Putin’s proposal to cut military budgets by 50% with the U.S. is a bold and unexpected move, it has revealed deep divisions in global military strategies.
- Russia sees economic benefits in reducing military spending, given its struggling economy and prolonged war in Ukraine.
- The U.S. under Trump may be open to negotiations, though European allies remain wary of any compromises.
- China, however, remains focused on its long-term military modernization plan and has distanced itself from budget-reduction proposals.
As global tensions continue to shape military strategies, the world watches closely to see whether Putin and Trump can turn their discussions into a lasting agreement—or whether China’s reluctance will ensure that the global arms race continues.
