Ukraine becomes Europe's largest arms importer – SIPRI

This is evidenced by the data of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Ukrinform reports with reference to DW. 

In its annual report, SIPRI compared arms exports in the period 2019-2023 with the period 2014-2018 and found a number of dramatic changes.

It is noted that the USA’s arms exports grew by 17% between 2014–18 and 2019–23, and its share of total global arms exports rose from 34% to 42%. Between 2019 and 2023, the United States delivered major arms to 107 countries, more than in any previous period.

The United States accounted for about 55% of the arms imported by European countries in 2019-2023, which is 20% more than in 2014-2018.

France took the second place among exporters, displacing Russia. Its arms exports increased by 47%, and its share in global supplies rose to 11% (7.2% in 2014-2018). The increase in French arms exports was largely due to deliveries of combat aircraft to India, Qatar, and Egypt. 

Russia has moved to third place in the ranking of global arms suppliers. Between 2019 and 2023, arms exports from Russia almost halved, by 53%. Russia's share of global supplies decreased by 10%, equaling France's.

According to the report, over the past five years, the decline in Russian military exports has been rapid. While in 2019, Russia supplied arms to 31 states, in 2023 it supplied only 12. At the same time, just under two-thirds of Russia's arms exports went to three countries: India (34%), China (21%), and Egypt (7.5%).

“Ukraine emerged as the largest European arms importer in 2019–23 and the fourth largest in the world, after at least 30 states supplied major arms as military aid to Ukraine from February 2022,” the report says.

Ukraine’s share of global arms imports was 4.9%, compared to 0.1% in 2014-2018. At the same time, the overall growth in military imports over this period reached a record 6633%.

According to SIPRI, the main arms suppliers to Kyiv were the United States (39%), Germany, and Poland (14% and 13%, respectively).

Earlier, SIPRI stated that despite the increase in arms orders amid Russia's war against Ukraine, the total revenues of the largest arms manufacturers in 2022 decreased compared to the previous year.