Russia Finance Officials Tell Putin War Spending Is Unaffordable

Senior government officials have warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that spending on the war in Ukraine is on an unaffordable path, the most serious sign of internal division in Moscow since the full-scale invasion began.

Officials in Russia’s Finance Ministry and central bank have advised the Kremlin that the current level of projected defense expenditure risks the government’s budget deficit widening dangerously, according to people familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by Bloomberg News.