Andrei Beloussov, the new Russian Defense Minister, is not a soldier. And the choice of this technocrat, a supporter of a state economy, illustrates how central the conflict in Ukraine has become for the Russian state and economy.
The appointment of the man who was Deputy Prime Minister came as a surprise on Sunday evening. But it says a lot about the state of mind of President Vladimir Putin, after more than two years of assault on Ukraine and at a time when the economy has been reoriented towards the war effort.
A budget manager
For independent political scientist Konstantin Kalachev, with this promotion, the Kremlin is engaging in “a long and serious war, the main objective of which is to exhaust, to render bloodless the enemy, to tire and irritate its Western allies” .
Given his profile, Andreï Beloussov, 65, should not have the upper hand over military decisions. But he will be the manager of the colossal defense budget, notably investments in the military industry, and the guarantor of the good treatment of veterans and the wounded. Speaking before a committee of the Russian parliament on Monday, he did not address the current campaign.
Questioned by elected officials, he however promised to tackle “excessive bureaucracy” within the Ministry of Defense or to resolve the issue of “providing housing” to veterans. The sixty-year-old also knows that his ministry is no stranger to corruption scandals, as shown by the arrest at the end of April of Deputy Minister Timour Ivanov, who was in charge of construction.
Restructuring
“The appointment of Beloussov (…) means the start of a major audit and a restructuring of all financial models,” believes the Russian Telegram channel, Rybar, considered to be close to the military. With him, the Russian president also has someone who has already proven himself by participating in the reorganization, under the control of the State, of an economy subject to Western sanctions but remaining very resilient thanks in particular to military orders.
“He is a trusted person for Putin, especially when it comes to economic issues,” notes Rybar. With this white-haired economist, Russia therefore seems to be making a lasting commitment towards economic growth driven by the defense sector.
“It is very important to adapt the economy of the security bloc to the economy of the country,” argued Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov on Sunday evening, stressing that the new minister will be “open to innovation” to ensure victory on the battlefield.
“Today, the strongest person is the one who can combine war and the economy in the most gentle way for the country,” commented Russian war correspondent and defender of the Kremlin theses Alexander Sladkov, closely followed by of one million subscribers on Telegram. In the eyes of Vladimir Putin, Andreï Beloussov, targeted by American, British and European sanctions, therefore has the appropriate profile.