MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. Russia's budget for 2024 has been prepared, but more funds may be received, with a share of them going toward continuing the initiative to resettle citizens from the Far North and other locations, Russian president Vladimir Putin said during his combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference.

"The budget for next year has been prepared, but I hope there will be additional revenues - we need to look into this," he said.

Putin signed the law on the federal budget for 2024 and for the planning period 2025-2026 on November 27. According to the law, Russian budget revenues will amount to 35.065 trillion rubles ($391.23 bln) in 2024, 33.552 trillion rubles ($374.35 bln) in 2025 and 34.051 trillion rubles ($379.92) in 2026. Expenses are expected to reach 36.66 trillion rubles ($409.03 bln), 34.382 trillion rubles ($383.61), and 35.587 trillion rubles ($397.16 bln), respectively. The deficit is projected at 1.595 trillion rubles ($17.8 bln) in 2024, 0.83 trillion rubles ($9.26 bln) in 2025, and 1.536 trillion rubles ($17.14 bln) in 2026.

Putin also added that Russia’s new regions transferred 170 bln rubles ($1.89 bln) to the country’s federal budget for the current year, which shows the restoration of the economy of these regions. "This year, these so-called new regions paid 170 bln rubles to the federal budget. What does this mean? This means that the economy of these regions is recovering and returning to normal," he said.

He also added that sister-city relations have been established between the new regions and other regions of the country. "Our other regions are planning to invest approximately another 100 bln," Putin explained.