Ukraine has emerged as the world’s largest importer of weapons over the past five years, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in Sweden.
The report reveals that Ukraine’s arms imports from 2020 to 2024 surged nearly 100-fold compared to the previous five years, now accounting for 8.8 percent of global arms imports.
The United States continues to dominate the global arms export market, with a 21 percent increase in arms sales between 2020 and 2024, supplying 107 countries. As a result, the US share of global arms exports has risen by 8 percentage points, reaching 43 percent.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s share of global arms exports increased from 2.1 percent to 2.2 percent, securing its position as the 10th-largest arms exporter. Its share of global arms imports decreased from 3.4 percent to 2.6 percent, placing it at 12th globally.
don@heraldcorp.com