Global weapons trade has resumed growth. A recent report from the\nStockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that\nglobal weapons transfers increased nearly 10% in the 2021\u20132025 period\ncompared with the previous five years.<\/p>\n
After declining by approximately one-third since the collapse of\ncommunism and the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s and early 1990s,\nweapons trading volumes have now returned close to 1989 levels.<\/p>\n
Europe has become the world\u2019s largest weapons-importing region. In\nthe 2016\u20132020 period, Asia and Oceania led with 42% of total global\nimports, followed by the Middle East with 32%. Europe held only third\nplace with 12%.<\/p>\n
However, in the past five years, European weapons imports have\ntripled to reach 33% globally. Asia and Oceania now stands in second\nplace with 31%, followed by the Middle East with 26%. According to SIPRI\nresearcher Mathew George, the surge in weapons flows to European nations\nhas been the primary factor in the nearly 10% increase in global weapons\ntransfers.<\/p>\n
One major trigger has been Russia\u2019s large-scale invasion of Ukraine\nin 2022. \u201cMany European nations have increased weapons imports to\nstrengthen military capabilities against what they perceive as an\nincreasingly serious threat from Russia,\u201d said George.<\/p>\n
The Ukraine War Drives European Nations to Arm Themselves<\/p>\n
According to SIPRI, US weapons deliveries to Ukraine in 2025 have\ndeclined compared with the previous two years.<\/p>\n
Since returning as US President, Donald Trump has reduced direct\nmilitary aid to Ukraine. However, if Ukraine\u2019s allies, such as European\nUnion nations, Australia, or Canada, purchase weapons from the US and\nthen transfer them to Ukraine, SIPRI still counts this as US arms\nexports to Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Ukraine is no longer the sole factor driving increased\narms imports in Europe. The threat from Russia and Trump\u2019s warnings to\nthe European Union have also prompted NATO member states to increase\nmilitary spending.<\/p>\n
The SIPRI report notes that arms imports by 29 NATO members in Europe\nsurged 143% in the 2021\u20132025 period compared with 2016\u20132020.<\/p>\n
Poland became the largest importer with 17% of total imports in this\ncategory, or approximately 3.6% of total global arms imports. Poland\u2019s\narms imports surged 852% compared with the previous period.<\/p>\n
Other major arms-importing nations in Europe include the United\nKingdom and the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
The US Expands Its Role as Global Weapons Supplier<\/p>\n
Despite declining weapons deliveries since 2025, the US remains the\nprimary arms supplier to Ukraine. Along with South Korea, the US is also\none of the important suppliers to European nations.<\/p>\n
At the global level, some European nations such as France, Italy, and\nGermany are expanding their roles as arms exporters.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Germany has surpassed China and is now the world\u2019s\nfourth-largest arms exporter with approximately 5.7% of the global\nmarket share.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the US is strengthening its position as the world\u2019s\nlargest weapons supplier. In the 2021\u20132025 period, the country accounted\nfor approximately 42% of total international weapons transfers, up from\n36% in 2016\u20132020. Over that five-year period, the US supplied weapons to\n99 nations.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe US is consolidating its dominance as a global weapons supplier,\neven amid an increasingly multipolar world,\u201d said SIPRI researcher\nPieter Wezeman. He added that under Trump\u2019s administration, weapons\nexports are increasingly being utilised as a foreign policy\ninstrument.<\/p>\n
In South Asia, arms imports have also increased. Both India and\nPakistan have stepped up weapons purchases and entered the list of the\nworld\u2019s ten largest arms importers. Tensions between the two nations\nhave been one factor driving this increase.<\/p>\n
Middle Eastern Arms Imports Decline<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, arms imports in the Middle East have actually declined.\nThe SIPRI report notes a decrease of approximately 13% in the five-year\nperiod through 2025.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, three nations in the region still rank among the\nworld\u2019s top ten arms importers: Saudi Arabia with 6.8% of total global\nimports, Qatar with 6.4%, and Kuwait with 2.8%.<\/p>\n
In the near term, these figures are not expected to decline.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/europe-now-worlds-largest-arms-importer-over-russian-concerns-1773053572", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }