Arms imports into Europe will almost double in 2022
Driven by massive deliveries to Ukraine, arms imports into Europe have increased by 93% in 2022, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) published on Monday.
Supported by the West after the invasion of its territory by Russia in February 2022, Ukraine, until now a negligible importer of armaments, suddenly became the third destination of armaments in the world last year, behind Qatar and India.
The country alone concentrated 31% of arms imports in Europe and 8% of world trade, according to data sent by Sipri to AFP as part of its annual report.
Kiev’s imports, including Western donations, have multiplied by more than 60 in 2022. For most second-hand equipment, deliveries to Ukraine include in particular around 230 American artillery pieces, 280 Polish armored vehicles and even more than 7,000 British anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft systems, new this time, lists the Sipri.
Excluding Ukraine, the increase in European imports still reached 35% in 2022. This is also due to the acceleration of military spending by several European states such as Poland and Norway, which should increase further, according to this study. reference.