Why did Putin choose him? , change the coach before the battle
This is a strategist who always gets the job done.
Is the Russian army going to be run by economists?
On May 12, Putin, who had just started his new presidential term, officially announced the nomination of Andrei Belousov as Russia’s Minister of Defense. Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was appointed Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. This is the first time in 12 years that Russia has a new defense minister.
As a famous Russian economist, Belousov is famous for successfully predicting the 2008 economic crisis. Before being nominated as Defense Minister, he served as Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic and financial affairs, playing an important role in Russia's fight against Western sanctions. But he has no experience working in the military or powerful departments
In this case, Putin's nomination of Belousov does have profound meaning: Compared with the front line of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia still has a heavyweight battlefield that needs this "economic champion".
"In today's battlefield, victory belongs to the side that can innovate better and put new technologies into application faster. Therefore, the president will naturally decide that the Department of Defense will be led by a civilian. But he is not simply a civilian. "Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov said when explaining Putin's nomination of Belousov.
Before being nominated as defense minister, Belousov was already well-known in Russian politics. He served as Russia's Minister of Economic Development and served as Assistant to the President for 7 years, and was deeply trusted by Putin. Matviyenko, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council, praised Belousov as "a strategist, a person who can always succeed in everything he does. When he is entrusted with important tasks, he can quickly enter the role."
Li Jingya, associate researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said in an interview with a reporter from Global Figures that although Belousov has never served on the front line, he is very sensitive to innovations in the defense industry. When the conflict between Russia and Ukraine broke out, Belousov pointed out the weakness of the Russian army in drone production and electronic warfare. In 2023, he was directly responsible for the production and research and development of Russian drones, effectively improving the output and quality of drones, allowing the Russian army to gradually take the initiative in the "drone race" with the Ukrainian army.
·In December 2023, Russia exhibited the "Sirius" drone.
A Russian military expert said that in the Russian military system, the mission of the Minister of Defense is to ensure that the Russian army can obtain necessary equipment and high technologies. This means that his main job is not to lead troops in combat, but to inspect factories, supervise technology research and development, and sign military orders. “This is a job that is closely related to industry, science, and technology. This is Belousov’s strength. "
Putin's nomination of Belousov is also closely related to changes in Russia's economic situation. Peskov said that Russia’s defense-related expenditures currently account for 6.7% of GDP, which is approaching the level of the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s. This means that Russia's economy needs "special management."
Ye Tianle, associate researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said in an interview with a reporter from Global Figures that the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine has lasted for more than two years. The two countries not only engage in military confrontation on the front line, but also compete in the economic and military fields. Starting from the second half of last year, the Russian economy began to transform into a wartime economy, placing higher demands on the linkage between the Russian defense sector and the economic sector. This is why Putin chose Belousov, who has extensive experience in the economic field, as defense minister.
In public, Belousov almost always wears a low-key black suit. Like Putin, he was a martial arts enthusiast in his youth, practicing karate and sambo. In addition to reading, his favorite way to relax is to paint with his family. “This is the best way for me to deepen the relationship between my loved ones after my intense research work.”
In 1959, Belousov was born in Moscow into an intellectual family. His father, Rem Belousov, served in the Soviet Air Force, participated in the Great Patriotic War, and became a famous Soviet economist after the war, participating in the formulation of the Soviet Union's 1965 economic reform policy. His mother Pavlovna is a famous radiochemist who specializes in rare elements.
His parents' enthusiasm for scientific research deeply influenced Belousov, and he and his younger brother embarked on the academic path together. Years later, he recalled: “The direction in which we brothers engaged in research was our own choice, and our parents never put pressure on us.
In 1981, Belousov, who was only 22 years old, graduated with honors from Moscow University and stayed at the school to work. At that time, he participated in the most cutting-edge human-computer interaction system experiments in the Soviet Union, and was one of the first economists in the Soviet Union to use computer simulation systems to study macroeconomic issues. He studied under the famous Soviet mathematician Yuri Yaremenko. Belousov recalled that Yaremenko was a Chinese culture enthusiast who often said a motto considered to be based on Confucian philosophy: "A true gentleman has two missions: to understand the mysteries of nature and to serve the motherland. ." This sentence had a profound impact on Belousov.
In 1999, Belousov was hired as a consultant to the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and provided consultation to many senior Russian officials. In 2005, in his report "Long-term Trends in the Russian Economy: Prospects for Russian Economic Development Before 2020", he predicted the upcoming economic crisis and warned that Russia may experience an economic recession from 2011 to 2012. The report was influential and helped him gain further favor with Russian officials.
In 2006, Belousov accepted the invitation and became deputy minister of economic development, thus entering politics. In 2008, he was included in the office team of then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and was responsible for economic and financial affairs.
Ye Tianle said that as a famous economist, Belousov has a deep understanding of economic theory and practice that many Russian officials do not possess. During his more than ten years in the Russian government, he worked in various economic sectors and gradually became Putin's confidant in the process. In 2013, Belousov was appointed as Putin's presidential assistant, responsible for economic work. During this period, Belousov played an important role in Russia's digitalization and infrastructure construction plans, and was the first official to advise Putin on the direction of blockchain and digital economy.
In the process of formulating economic policies, Belousov attaches great importance to the role of the government in the national economy. In 2020, he was appointed by Russian Prime Minister Mishustin as the First Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national economic and fiscal policy, and temporarily served as the Russian Prime Minister when Mishustin was infected with the new coronavirus in 2020.
Li Jingya believes that Belousov, like Mishustin, is an outstanding technical official. He does not have a strong political background, but relies on his professional abilities and political achievements to gain promotion in the Russian political system step by step. In recent years, as members of Putin's core team have grown older, technocrats like Belousov have emerged and played an increasingly important role in Russian politics.
·In 2010, Belousov discussed issues with colleagues at a meeting.
In April this year, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Ivanov was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes. In May, Kuznetsov, director of the Cadre Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, was also detained as a criminal suspect. Li Jingya believes: "Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Russian army has exposed many problems in logistics support and the use of defense funds, which has made Putin very dissatisfied. As a 'military amateur', Belousov is not only interested in Putin He is highly loyal and has no complicated interpersonal relationships within the Russian powerful group, which makes him an excellent candidate for Putin to clean up the corruption problem in the Russian military.”
Corruption has plagued the Russian military for years. Ye Tianle said that in 2012, Putin launched an anti-corruption campaign, and many senior Russian military officials including then-Russian Defense Minister Serdyukov were dismissed due to corruption. Defense Minister Shoigu, who then took office, adopted some policies to bring order out of chaos, and cooperated with Russian Chief of General Staff Gerasimov to improve the overall combat effectiveness of the Russian army. However, corruption and bureaucracy problems within the Russian military have still not been eradicated.
On May 13, Belousov, who had just been nominated, gave his first speech on defense work at the Russian Federation Council. What he mentioned most was the livelihood of Russian soldiers. Belousov emphasized: "Currently, the salary of all military personnel participating in 'special military operations' has risen to 200,000 rubles, but life is not just about allowances. We still have a lot of other work to do." He promised, The Russian Ministry of Defense will provide housing security for veterans returning from the battlefield.
He also severely criticized some chaos in the Russian military medical system: "Some soldiers who participated in 'special military operations' were kicked out of civilian medical institutions during the holidays and then forcibly sent to crowded military hospitals. "In my opinion, this is simply nonsense. This problem and its related bureaucracy must be resolved." This speech also reflects Belousov's determination to carry out internal rectification of the Russian army.
Some Russian media predict that Belousov’s goal is to further achieve the overall mobilization of the Russian economy. In order to achieve this goal, he may launch a comprehensive audit of the Russian military soon after taking office, and then gradually deal with corruption issues within the Russian military based on the audit results.
Some Ukrainian scholars said that Putin’s nomination of Belousov as Defense Minister is “bad news” for Ukraine. Li Jingya believes that the current Russian-Ukrainian battlefield is gradually entering a new stage. Belousov will further enhance the in-depth cooperation between the Ministry of National Defense and other Russian economic sectors to ensure the stable supply of weapons and ammunition for the Russian army, especially high-tech equipment. Under this circumstance, Putin's appointment of Belousov also reflects that the Russian army is preparing for a long-term operation in the future conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
·In 2023, Belousov will report to Putin.
