The United States has expanded its advantage over other nations as the largest weapon exporter in the world, with Europe now its main client.
The US represented 43% of global weapon exports between 2020 and 2024, more than four times a quota in France, the world’s second largest exporter, according to new data from the International Institute for Stockholm Peace Research (Sipri).
This amount is higher than the 35% quota that the United States held between 2015 and 2019, according to the reflection group in a report published on Monday.
Europe has become increasingly dependent on weapons manufactured in the US over the past decade, according to the report. In the last five years – covering Ukraine’s invasion of Russia in 2022 at the European Union’s doors – the US manufacturing weapons represented almost two thirds of the NATO European members, against just over half between 2015 and 2019.
For the first time in two decades, according to Sipri, most US arms exports went to the wider European region, not to the Middle East. Ukraine has imported large amounts of weapons and military equipment, including from the US, since the large -scale invasion of Russia.
The data underlines Europe’s double dependence on America for its safety: it has been having weapons manufactured in the US, as well as promises of US military aid on any potential future war.
But this reality is changing. Last month, US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, urged Europe to assume “responsibility” for his own security. The US remains committed to the NATO alliance, he said, but “they will no longer tolerate an unbalanced relationship that encourages dependence.”
Distaniating even more from Europe, the Trump administration maintained conversations with Moscow to explore the end of the war in Ukraine – without inviting the European Union or Ukraine.
Europe is now preparing to spend a lot to expand its own weapons production.
Last year, the EU countries spent about 1.9% of their gross domestic product combined in defense, but there have recently been appeals in Europe and the US to make much more. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte recently defended that European military expense should be “greater than 3%”.
On Thursday, the 27 EU Member States gave Green Light to proposals that can make thousands of millions of euros available for defense expenses.
The EU leaders discussed a proposal from the Bloc’s chief executive that would grant countries loans in the total amount of 150 billion euros and that the plan would be studied before another meeting at the end of the month.
