Russia has almost completely restored its armed forces after huge losses during the invasion of Ukraine, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said. This is reported by Defense News.


"We have assessed over the past few months that Russia has almost fully recovered militarily," he said.


However, the publication notes that Campbell's assessment contradicts the assessment of the Pentagon and American allies in Europe.


In particular, the head of Lithuania's national security committee said earlier this year that Russia would need five to seven years to rebuild its forces for a full-scale war.


However, Moscow has sharply increased defense spending since 2022, to 6% of national GDP in the 2024 budget. This increase is part of a larger effort by the Kremlin to put its economy, and the defense industry in particular, to the military.


According to the publication, the aggressor country is partly succeeding in this thanks to the support of China, as well as North Korea and Iran.


Campbell and another senior administration official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said that China has helped Russia "survive" its economic and military setbacks over the past two years.


"We do see that [the People's Republic of China] has begun to help rebuild Russia's defense industrial base, essentially restoring trade with European partners" that had been halted after Russia's invasion, – the official said.