This is a direct consequence of the war in Ukraine. Arms imports more than doubled in Europe between 2019 and 2023. Furthermore, France is now the second largest arms supplier in the world, ahead of Russia.
A jump of 94% over the last five years, which is mainly explained by fears of an attack from Moscow.
This is what emerges from the new report from SIPRI, the International Peace Research Institute, based in Stockholm.
Ukraine has thus become the fourth largest arms importer in the world, and the first on the European continent.
The country alone now represents nearly 5% of global arms imports, compared to 0.1% in the period before the Russian invasion.
Overall, more than half of arms imports into Europe, or 55%, come from the United States, the world’s leading exporter.
The country is followed by France, which becomes the second largest arms seller in the world. Paris has succeeded in selling its combat plane, the Rafale.
France replaced Russia, whose arms exports fell by 53% between 2014 and 2023.
According to the report, this global arms race, which has been slowed down neither by the Covid period nor by the global recession, will continue.
