Kremlin cuts aid to small businesses, directs all resources to war - FISU
In the first half of 2025, state support for small and medium-sized businesses in Russia fell by almost half, as the Kremlin's priority remains spending on the war against Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, this was stated by the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine
"The reasons for this were a reduction in preferential lending, "budget optimization," and a shift to selective assistance only for entrepreneurs in key sectors—manufacturing, logistics, IT, and tourism. The number of recipients fell by 22%," the statement said.
It is noted that the Kremlin is not reducing, but only increasing spending on the war against Ukraine, which has become the main priority of the Russian budget. For the Russian authorities, financing aggression is more important than supporting their own citizens and developing the economy.
Between 2025 and 2030, 330 billion rubles are planned to be allocated to support small and medium-sized businesses, which is 20% less than in the previous six years. This will lead to rising unemployment and a slowdown in the economy, as small and medium-sized businesses provide about 29 million jobs in Russia.
