Who's the new Russian Defense Minister?

Early in his fifth term as President Vladimir Putin is restructuring him Russia Even harder in the war economy. An inexperienced military economist must now contribute to this.

Putin appointed Andrej Belousov, to date deputy prime minister, to the post of defence minister. Parliament approval is considered safer. General Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu will be chairman of the National Security Council.

Belousov has not even carried out military service. With this election, however, Putin aims to have a better position in the exhausting fight against Ukraine.

“Today on the battlefield wins the one, which is open to innovation”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov comments the change. Even the “economy of the power block” should better integrate “into the country's economy”.

For this task Belousov “is a reasonable candidate”, Nina Kruschova, a Russian-American politician, told DW. Belousov has been profiled as a calm and professional technocrat.

“On the one hand it is not rejected by market economists, on the other hand it is for state supremacy in the economy”, she says. So who's taking the lead in Russia's defence dictatorship now in the middle of the war?

Putin Trusted

Andrej Belousov, born in Moscow as the son of an economist, is 65 years old. He has followed his father's model and studied economic sciences as well. He then investigated the market forecasts at the Russian Academy of Sciences. He has consulted the government and served as deputy economy minister in 2006 and 2008.

Decision for his career was 2008, when PutinFrom the post of president to the prime minister and appointed Belousov chief of the economy sector. So he had direct contact with Putin. Belousov has since been regarded as one of the closest believers in the president's circle.

His direct dependence on Putin, as well as the fact that Belousov does not belong to any faction fighting for influence in the Kremlin, has made him immune to corruption. Its predecessor, Shoigu, has often been talked about corruption. Finally, Shoigu's deputy was arrested, which many observers commented as a sign that he will soon be fired.

Teknocrat, who has supported the annexation of Crime

Belousov has strongly influenced the formation of Russian economic policy over the past few years. He is considered a supporter of state investments in the economy.

In 2014 he was among the few economic experts about Putin, who supported the annexation of Crime, wrote Russian portal “The Bell” a few years ago. Belousov sees Russia as “surrounded by enemies”, it further says. This outlook also speaks of his closeness to Putin. “In recent years Belousov has been obsessed with Russia's economic sovereignty idea”, Russian independent journalist Farida Rustamova, who specialises in Russian elites, writes on the Telegram platform.

Under Belousov's direction, the concept of technological development was compiled 2030. By this time, according to Belousov's plan, Russia must learn to produce chips, high precision machines, medical equipment, aircraft and fears, Rustamova writes.

The arms industry must provide impulses for economic growth

As Deputy Prime Minister Belousov focused heavily on the development of the local fears industry. He has often criticised the fact that important parts in the production chain are abroad. “Belowsov is interested in innovative weapons systems, and it is clear, what his priorities will be”, Aleksandra Prokopenko told Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.

On the other hand, extraordinary defence expenses should benefit the rest of the Russian economy, predicted in the Kremlin plan. The security bloc's budget, according to spokesman Peskov, constitutes 6.7 per cent of the gross product instead of Russia.

The Kremlin's leadership, meanwhile, is war”, says Prokopenko, who worked earlier at the Russian Central Bank. “They believe in military Keynesianism, namely, that with the help of investments in the military-industrial complex, long-term economic growth” can be strengthened. The young man at the Russian Ministry of Defence must help make the fight more stable for Russia. / DW