Notwithstanding the western sanctions on Russia, its defence spending in 2015 zoomed at the fastest rate in a decade. This was revealed by defence think tank IHS Jane’s, which said the spiralling defence budget of Russia is an indication of its tense relations with the West and its plans to intervene in global conflict spots as seen in Syria, where it launched a campaign to quash anti-Assad groups, including the Islamic State.

According to IHS Jane’s analysis, Kremlin bolstered its military spending by 21 percent to US $54.1 billion (AU$75 billion), making it the fifth largest military budget in the world after the US, China, the U.K. and France.

Russia showed a three-fold jump in defence spending since 2007 and the defense budget accounts for 4.3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), reports CNBC. Among the conflicts in its back yard include regional tensions with Ukraine, with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and allies alleging Russia of supporting the separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. It has scared Russia's neighbors in eastern Europe and busy scaling up military budgets as has been done by Poland.

IHS Jane's report says the Ukraine crisis has exacerbated defense spending in Eastern Europe as a whole, and will surge to 2 percent of GDP and Poland’s military modernisation efforts is an example. The region is growing at the fastest rate in terms of high defence spending as was the case with Middle East in the past.

Russia’s limitations

However, the think tank cautions that Russia cannot sustain its high military spending for long, given the falling health of its sanctions-hit economy.

“Russian defense spending was starting to look unaffordable even before 2015's economic and fiscal downturn,” wrote Craig Caffrey, the principal analyst at IHS in the report.

“Cuts are now unavoidable as Moscow tries to keep its budget deficit in check,” he said.

It said Kremlin may effect cuts in the defense budget in real terms in the run up to 2020, even if it keeps defense spending above the 2014 levels. As Moscow cuts the budget, the global defense spending will still keep rising and may hit US$1.68 trillion (AU$2.35 trillion) in 2016, up from a total US$1.65 trillion (AU$2.31) in 2015, powered by global growth and rising security concerns of the West.

Support for Turkey

Meanwhile, NATO allies on Friday rallied behind Turkey, which had a show down with Russia following the shooting down of a Russian fighter plane in November end. The military bloc decided to send more aircraft and ships to Turkey to shore up its air and sea defence mechanisms on the border with Syria.

The NATO chief General Jens Stoltenberg said the package aims to avoid more shoot-downs of Russian planes. It has been approved by envoys to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and they will take a decision on what all military assets need to be sent to Turkey, said Stoltenberg.

“We have agreed on a package of assurance measures for Turkey in view of the volatile situation in the region," Stoltenberg said, without making any reference to Russia's military involvement and air strikes in Syria, reports Reuters.

The NATO package will include AWACS surveillance planes for “enhanced air policing, and increased naval presence including maritime patrol aircraft.” The ships will be provided by Germany and Denmark, which are now exercising in the eastern Mediterranean.

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