Europe has become the largest importer of weapons, with a tripling of imports in the last five years, against the backdrop of Russian threats and declining trust in the USA.

According to data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Europe has become the largest arms importer in the world in the last five years, with a tripling of imports between 2021 and 2025 compared to the period 2016-2020.

This increase is driven by the need to support Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion and to rebuild European armed forces after decades of insufficient investment. Europe now accounts for 33% of global arms imports, a significant increase from 12% in the previous period. Although domestic production has increased, European countries continue to purchase weapons from the USA, especially fighter jets and air defense systems. In the Middle East, arms imports have decreased by 13%, although Saudi Arabia and Qatar remain among the largest buyers. This decline is attributed to previous orders that have not yet been integrated. Regarding suppliers, the USA is strengthening its dominant position in the global arms market, with a share of 42%, while Russia's share has drastically decreased from 21% to 6.8% after the invasion of Ukraine. Combined exports from Europe account for 28% of the total, four times more than Russia and five times more than China.