Ukraine has emerged as the world’s largest importer of major arms between 2020 and 2024, with its imports surging nearly 100 times compared to the previous five-year period, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The dramatic increase reflects the influx of Western military aid following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, as well as broader European rearmament efforts.
According to SIPRI’s latest data, Ukraine accounted for 8.8% of global arms imports during the period. At least 35 nations have supplied weapons to Ukraine, with the United States leading as the primary supplier, providing 45% of the country’s imported arms. Germany followed with 12%, and Poland with 11%.
“The new arms transfer figures clearly reflect the rearmament taking place among states in Europe in response to the threat from Russia,” said Mathew George, Programme Director with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme.
The surge in Ukrainian imports was part of a broader trend across Europe, where overall arms imports grew by 155% between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024. NATO members in Europe more than doubled their imports, with 64% of these purchases coming from the U.S.
Despite efforts by some European governments to boost domestic weapons production, reliance on U.S.-made arms remains strong. “The transatlantic arms-supply relationship has deep roots. Imports from the U.S. have risen, and European NATO states have almost 500 combat aircraft and many other weapons still on order from the U.S.,” noted Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher at SIPRI.
At the same time, Russia’s arms exports have sharply declined, falling 64% over the same period. Once the world’s second-largest arms exporter, Russia has now dropped to third place, behind France. A growing number of traditional Russian clients, including India and China, have reduced their dependence on Moscow, either turning to Western suppliers or increasing their own domestic weapons production.
“The war against Ukraine has further accelerated the drop in Russia’s arms exports because more weapons are needed on the battlefield, trade sanctions make it harder for Russia to produce and sell its weapons, and the U.S. and its allies pressure states not to buy Russian arms,” said Wezeman.