How Vladimir Putin hopes to transform Russian trade

VLadimir Putin is spending a lot of money on his war in Ukraine. The Russian president has spent more than $200 billion, or 10% of GDPabout the invasion, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. He now plans to invest heavily in infrastructure that will allow his country’s economy to thrive even as it is cut off from the West. Over the next decade, the Russian state expects to pour $70 billion into building transportation routes to connect the country to key trading partners in Asia and the Middle East. Russia’s Far East and Far North will receive the lion’s share. A smaller amount will go to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a project designed to connect Russia and the Indian Ocean via Iran. Officials promise increased traffic along all non-Western trade routes.