Military spending pushes Russian economic growth up

Russia’s economy grew 5.4 percent in the first quarter of 2024, official statistics published Friday showed, as President Vladimir Putin denied military spending on his Ukraine offensive was reaching unsustainable levels.The Kremlin has heavily militarised Russia’s economy since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, with the vast outlays helping to power growth and cushion the blow of Western sanctions.But it has also set off inflation and comparisons with runaway defence spending that hobbled the Soviet Union in the 1980s.The Rosstat statistics agency said the first quarter growth…