Imports of weapons from European States members of NATO have more than doubled in the past five years. This is the observation of a report published Monday March 10 by the International Peace Research Institute of Stockholm (SIPRI), which establishes that these imports increased by 155 % between 2015-2019 and 2020-2024. This inventory comes at a time when the European Union (EU) states display their desire to strengthen the continent’s defense capacities in the face of the American disengagement announced by Donald Trump.
In the context of the invasion of its territory by Russia, Ukraine was the world’s largest importer in major weapons during the period 2020-2024, its imports increased by almost 100 times (+ 9627 %) compared to the 2015-2019 period.
64 % American weapons
“Faced with increasingly bellicose Russia and transatlantic relations under tension during the first Trump presidency”, NATO European States tried to “reduce their dependence on arms imports and strengthen the European armament industry”, said Pieter Wezeman, principal researcher in the Sipri “transfer of weapons” program, quoted in a statement. “But the transatlantic relationship in arms supply is deeply rooted. Imports from the United States have increased and European NATO states have ordered nearly 500 combat aircraft and many other weapons in the United States,” he added.
The United States has provided 64 % of weapons imported by European countries members of NATO (against 52 % in 2015-2019), and consolidated their place as the first exporter, with 43 % of world exports, before France (9.3 %), reveals the SIPRI.
In this context, for the first time in 20 years, Europe has become the main customer of the United States, representing 35 % of US exports on 2020-2024, ahead of the Middle East (33 %). However, the first customer country remains Saudi Arabia.
Behind the United States, therefore, France has tripled its exports in Europe compared to the period 2015-2019, mainly due to the sale of Rafale to Greece and Croatia and the supply of weapons to Ukraine. However, India remains the first customer in France (28 % of French exports), twice as much as all the other European states gathered (15 %).
Russia’s exports of weapons decreased 64 % between 2015-2019 and 2020-2024, making it the third arms exporter in the world behind the United States and France. In addition to its own needs, Russia has undergone the effect of international sanctions and the pressure from the United States and its allies so as not to buy Russian weapons.