 "Ukraine pushes India to number-2 arms importer, US stays exports leader")
Ukraine’s arms imports from 2020-2024 surged nearly 100-fold compared to 2015-2019 period, positioning it as the world’s largest importer of major arms and surpassing India for the top spot.
According to The Economic Times report, citing data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Ukraine has been the recipient of almost 9 per cent of all global arms exports during the same period.
As Russia continues with its military operations against Ukraine, many European countries have experienced a significant increase in arms imports, which rose by 155 per cent during 2020-2024. The surge is directly linked to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Since the war began in February 2022, the US has supplied billions of dollars in arms to Ukraine, a practice that has ceased under the new administration of President Donald Trump.
According to the report, citing Sipri data, the US is the largest arms supplier to Ukraine , accounting for 45 per cent of the country’s total imports.
Moreover, 34 other countries have provided weapons to Ukraine, with Germany and Poland following at 12 and 11 per cent, respectively, added the report.
Meanwhile, India, which has faced two nuclear-armed adversaries in Pakistan and China, had held the title of the world’s largest arms importer for several years.
According to the 2024 Sipri report, India’s share of global arms imports has decreased from 9.8 per cent to 8.3 per cent.
In the 2024 Sipri report, Ukraine accounted for 4.9 per cent of global arms imports, but recent data shows its share has risen to 8.8 per cent.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsQatar, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan follow in the top five arms importers, each holding 6.8 per cent, 6.8 per cent, and 4.6 per cent, respectively.
India’s share has decreased by 9.3 per cent from 2024 to 2025, while Pakistan’s has surged by 61 per cent, added the report.
The US remains the world’s largest arms seller. Interestingly, global arms exports from 2020 to 2024 have remained stable overall, with some countries like the US experiencing significant increases, while others, such as Russia, saw a substantial decline.
The US share of global arms exports has risen by 43 per cent, while Russia’s exports have plummeted by 64 per cent due to sanctions since early 2022.
Russia now accounts for just 7.8 per cent of the global market, behind France at 9.6 per cent. China and Germany follow with shares of 5.9 per cent and 5.6 per cent, respectively, added the report.
With inputs from agencies
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