The think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday (14/3) reported that arms shipments to Europe were increasing amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
In the last five years, SIPRI noted, global arms trade has tended to slow down and shrink by 5%. At the same time, shipments to countries in Europe increased by 19%.
SIPRI recorded this percentage as the largest growth in any region of the world.
"The severe deterioration in relations between most European countries and Russia is an important driver of growth in European arms imports," SIPRI said.
SIPRI said that high imports of weapons usually occur in countries that are unable to meet their military needs through domestic industry. The UK, Norway and the Netherlands are the biggest importers in Europe
Ukraine's imports of key weapons were said to have been fairly limited in the SIPRI monitoring period, despite tensions with Russia. In fact, when the invasion began late last month.
SIPRI predicts that European arms imports will increase in the following years. Several European countries have recently even ordered warplanes from the US in large quantities.
"Other European countries are also expected to increase their arms imports significantly, having recently placed large orders for major weapons, particularly fighter aircraft from the United States," SIPRI wrote in its report.
SIPRI noted that currently the US is still the world's largest arms exporter. Its market share also rose from 32% to 39%.
SIPRI data is gathered from information and estimates of international arms transfers. This includes transactions in the form of sales, gifts and production under license. The data reported also refers to the volume of shipments, not the financial value of the deal.
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