European arms imports skyrocketed by 155% between 2020 and 2024, with Ukraine emerging as the world’s largest arms importer following Russia’s 2022 invasion, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released on March 10. The report highlights the growing reliance on foreign arms across Europe, particularly on U.S. suppliers, as regional security concerns escalate. Europe accounted for 28% of global arms imports during 2020–24, up sharply from 11% in 2015–19.
Ukraine has become the world’s largest recipient of weapons, accounting for 8.8 per cent of global arms shipments. It marks an astonishing increase of 9,627 per cent, nearly 100 times the volume of deliveries it received from 2015 to 2019.
Following Russia’s invasion in 2022, at least 35 countries sent weapons to Ukraine, with significant additional deliveries scheduled. The majority of these arms came from the United States, contributing 45 percent, followed by Germany 12 percent and Poland 11 percent.
NATO’s European members experienced a remarkable 105 per cent increase in arms shipments, more than doubling the volume compared to the previous five-year period. During this time, 64 per cent of their arms imports came from the United States, up from 52 per cent in the 2015-2019 period.
Other significant suppliers to NATO countries in Europe included France and South Korea, each contributing 6.5 per cent, followed by Germany at 4.7 per cent and Israel at 3.9 per cent.
The report indicates that the increase in arms imports among the European NATO member states was primarily driven by their response to the Russian war in Ukraine, along with uncertainties surrounding U.S. foreign policy during President Donald Trump’s second term.
European leaders have pledged to boost defence spending following Trump’s reversal of previous U.S. commitments to Ukraine.
“With an increasingly aggressive Russia and growing uncertainty in transatlantic relations during Trump’s first presidency, European NATO states are taking steps to reduce their reliance on foreign arms and strengthen their domestic defence industries,” said Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher at SIPRI’s Arms Transfers Programme.
However, Wezeman cautioned that Europe’s arms dependency on the U.S. runs deep. “Imports from the U.S. have actually increased, and European NATO members still have nearly 500 combat aircraft and many other weapon systems on order from the U.S.,” he added.
Russia’s Arms Exports Plummet Amid Sanctions
Russia’s share of global arms exports fell sharply to 7.8% in 2020–24, down from 21% in the previous five-year period. The decline is largely attributed to international sanctions over the Ukraine war and Moscow’s increased domestic demand for weaponry.
Meanwhile, Asia and Oceania’s arms imports dropped by 21%, driven mainly by China’s growing ability to produce its own weapons.
Despite regional shifts, overall global arms transfers remained at roughly the same level in 2020–24 as in the previous five-year period, according to SIPRI’s findings.
Team BharatShakti
