From Buyer to Exporter: Europe’s Growing Arms Industry

EU countries now make up about 28%

of global arms exports, SIPRI says [insert pic: https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/RussiaUkraineWarEndgame/476803c36ed04b17a7fe271eee3d11c3/photo]

The war in Ukraine has significantly reshaped Europe’s defense landscape, driving both a surge in arms imports and growth in the region’s weapons industry.

According to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), imports of major arms by European countries more than tripled between 2021 and 2025 compared with the previous five-year period.

Much of that increase has been driven by the war in Ukraine. SIPRI estimates that Ukrainian arms imports accounted for about 43% of the overall rise in European imports during the period.

At the same time, nearly half of the weapons imported into Europe came from the United States, highlighting the continued importance of U.S. defense technology for European militaries.

However, the data also shows Europe’s own defense industry expanding. According to SIPRI, arms exports from the 27 European Union member states grew by 36% over the past five years. That growth rate was faster than both the United States and China during the same period.

EU countries now account for about 28% of global arms exports. The report suggests that while the Ukraine war has increased Europe’s reliance on imported weapons, it is also helping accelerate the region’s development as a major global arms manufacturer and exporter.