Arms deliveries continue to rise according to the Peace Research Institute

The biggest driver of this development continues to be the war in Ukraine. However, the Russian threat is also prompting European countries to strengthen their own armaments capabilities. Uncertainty about the extent to which the USA would defend its NATO partners in an emergency has also driven up demand for weapons among European NATO states, according to the report.

"Although European companies have ramped up their arms production and the EU's new investment support for member states' defense industries has led to a number of intra-EU orders, European states have continued to import US weapons in 2021-25, especially fighter aircraft and long-range air defense systems," said researcher Katarina Djokic.