Global arms shipments increased by 9.2 percent between the periods 2016 to 2020 and 2021 to 2025, according to the Stockholm peace research institute Sipri. European countries tripled their arms imports during this period.
March 9, 2026, 5:15 a.mMarch 9, 2026, 5:15 a.m
The biggest driver of this development continues to be the war in Ukraine. The Russian threat is also causing European countries to strengthen their own armament capabilities. Uncertainty about the extent to which the USA would defend its NATO partners in an emergency has also driven up demand for weapons among European NATO states, according to the report.
There is also major investment in drones: a warehouse from a Ukrainian manufacturer.Image: keystone
“Although European companies have ramped up their arms production and the EU’s new investment aid for member states’ defense industries has led to a number of orders within the EU, European states continued to import US weapons in 2021-25, in particular fighter jets and long-range air defense systems,” said researcher Katarina Djokic. (sda/dpa)