Ukraine became the leader among importers of major types of weapons for the period 2020-2024 — its imports increased almost 100 times compared to 2015-2019.
This is stated in the annual report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Overall, European arms imports increased by 155% over the same period, as allies responded to Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine and the uncertain future of US foreign policy, the document said.
According to the institute’s latest data, Washington increased its share of global arms exports to 43%, while Moscow’s exports fell by 64%. The total volume of arms transfers in the world remained at about the same level as in 2015–2019 and 2010–2014. The growth of imports in Europe and the Americas compensated for the decline in other regions.
Russia, which accounts for 7.8% of global arms exports, fell to third place among the leaders, losing ground to France (9.6%). Italy (4.8%) rose from 10th to sixth place in the ranking.
At least 35 countries have sent weapons to Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In 2020–2024, Ukraine received 8.8% of global arms imports. The majority of the tranches came from the United States (45%), followed by Germany (12%) and Poland (11%). Ukraine became the only European country among the top 10 importers during this period.
“The new data clearly shows rearmament in Europe in response to the threat from Russia. However, some major arms importers, including Saudi Arabia, India and China, have significantly reduced their imports for various reasons,” says Matthew George, Director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme.
Imports by European NATO members increased by 105% between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024. The main suppliers, besides the United States, were France and South Korea (6.5% each), Germany (4.7%), and Israel (3.9%).
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