Cannes, France
CNN
—
The United States has extended its lead over other nations as the world’s biggest exporter of weapons, with Europe now its main customer.
The US accounted for 43% of global weapons exports between 2020 and 2024, more than four times the share of France, the world’s second-largest exporter, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
That’s up from a 35% share commanded by America between 2015 and 2019, the think tank said in a report published Monday.
Europe has grown increasingly reliant on US-made weapons over the past decade, the report also showed. In the past five years — which cover Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine on the European Union’s doorstep — American-made weapons accounted for almost two-thirds of the arms imported by European members of NATO, up from just over half between 2015 and 2019.
For the first time in two decades, according to SIPRI, the majority of US arms exports went to the broader European region rather than the Middle East. Ukraine has imported vast quantities of weapons and military equipment, including from the US, since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The data highlights Europe’s two-pronged dependency on America for its security: it has been relying on US-made weapons, as well as on promises of US military help in any potential future war.
But that reality is changing. Last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Europe to take “responsibility” for its own security. The US remains committed to the NATO alliance, he said, but will “no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency.”
Distancing itself even further from Europe, the Trump administration then held talks with Moscow to explore ending the war in Ukraine — without inviting officials from either the European Union (EU) or Ukraine.
Europe is now preparing to spend big to expand its own weapons production.
EU nations spent about 1.9% of their combined gross domestic product on defense last year but there have been recent calls from within Europe and the US for much more. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently argued that European military spending should be “north of 3%.”
On Thursday, all 27 members of the EU greenlit proposals that could make billions of euros available for defense spending.
EU leaders discussed a proposal from the head of the bloc’s executive that would provide countries with loans totaling up to €150 billion ($163 billion) and said the plan would be studied ahead of another meeting at the end of the month.
