Ukraine Emerges as the World's Largest Arms Importer in 2024

In recent years, no other nation has received more arms than Ukraine, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The data reveals that Ukrainian imports of military equipment surged nearly a hundredfold compared to the previous five-year period. Amidst the ongoing Russian invasion that has persisted for three years, Ukraine has become the largest arms importer globally.

Currently, Ukraine accounts for 8.8% of the worldwide total for heavy weapon imports, which includes tanks, fighter jets, and submarines. Following Ukraine are India (8.3%), Qatar (6.8%), Saudi Arabia (6.8%), and Pakistan (4.6%). Germany ranks 33rd in arms imports but is recognized as the fifth-largest arms exporter worldwide.

Since the Russian incursion in February 2022, at least 35 nations have supplied arms to Ukraine, predominantly as military assistance to bolster its defense against Russia's aggression. The largest suppliers have been the United States, providing 45% of the arms, followed by Germany (12%) and Poland (11%). However, recent developments indicate that the US government under President Donald Trump has temporarily halted military aid to Ukraine.

The uncertainty surrounding Trump's foreign policy direction is viewed by peace researchers as one of the key factors driving European nations to significantly increase their military spending. Contrary to a global trend of declining arms imports, European countries have ramped up their military imports by an impressive 155% when comparing the two five-year periods. In stark contrast, the overall volume of global arms deliveries experienced a slight decrease of 0.6%.