Putin: Science as vital as national security

The Russian president Vladimir Putin has said that he intended to maintain spending on R&D despite the difficult economic outlook in the country.

Putin met with senior officials on 23 November to discuss a draft strategy on scientific and technological development, due in the coming weeks. At the meeting, Putin said he believed that this strategy was as important as the national security strategy.

And he promised that the strategy would be accompanied by additional funds, to ensure that Russian science kept up with its international competitors. “Despite the difficult situation, it is necessary to maintain the level of expenditure on basic science as a percentage of GDP. If we save here today, we will, of course, hopelessly fall behind tomorrow,” Putin said. “We cannot allow this.”