Global military spending will reach a record $2.4 trillion in 2023, an increase of 6.8% compared to the previous year. Faced with a full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine has become the fourth largest arms importer in the world for the period 2019-2023, occupying 4.9% of the global market.
About this write SIPRI.
Ukraine is among the leaders, Europe’s military budgets are growing
Only India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are ahead of Ukraine in the list of arms importers. The increase in military spending is observed in most European countries, which is a reaction to the war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s defense spending increased by 51%, and Russia’s – by 24%.
The US remains the biggest military spender
The United States remains the undisputed leader in terms of military spending, spending $916 billion in 2023, more than the combined spending of the next nine countries in the ranking.
China’s nuclear arsenal is growing rapidly
Against the backdrop of rising global military spending, China is showing the fastest growing nuclear arsenal. In one year, the number of Chinese nuclear warheads increased from 410 to 500, and further growth is expected.
Russia is increasing the number of deployed nuclear warheads
Russia increased the number of deployed nuclear warheads by 36, although the total size of the Russian and US nuclear arsenals remained relatively stable. Despite the statement about the placement of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, no convincing evidence of this has been found.
Call for arms control
The SIPRI report emphasizes the importance of arms control and the need for dialogue among nuclear powers to reduce risks and ensure global security.
