Europe’s arms imports jump

Arms shipments to Europe jumped amid deteriorating relations with Russia in the five years through 2021, even as the global arms trade slowed, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think-tank said yesterday.

Compared with the previous five-year period, international transfers of major arms shrank 5% globally, SIPRI said in a statement. But imports to states in Europe increased 19% - the biggest growth in any world region.

"The severe deterioration in relations between most European states and Russia was an important driver of growth in European arms imports, especially for states that cannot meet all their requirements through their national arms industries," SIPRI researcher Pieter Wezeman said.

Britain, Norway and the Netherlands were Europe's biggest importers, it said.