Europe, the Largest Importer of U.S. Weapons over the Past Five Years

11th March 2025

2 minutes read

Europe, the Largest Importer of U.S. Weapons over the Past Five Years

The arms imports of NATO member states in Europe have more than doubled over the past five years, with these countries relying on U.S. weapons for more than 60% of their supply, according to a report published Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

This comes at a time when EU member states are seeking to strengthen the continent’s defense capabilities in response to Donald Trump’s calls for disengagement from Europe.

SIPRI revealed that Ukraine has become the world’s largest arms importer between 2020 and 2024, while the United States has reinforced its position as the world’s top arms exporter (accounting for 43% of global arms exports), ahead of France.

Between 2020 and 2024, arms imports by NATO’s European member states increased by 105% compared to the 2015-2019 period, “reflecting a general rearmament in Europe in response to the threat posed by Russia,” according to SIPRI.

The United States supplied 64% of these arms (up from 52% during the 2015-2019 period).

Peter Wezeman, a senior researcher at SIPRI’s Arms Transfers Program, stated in a report that “facing an increasingly aggressive Russia and strained transatlantic relations during Trump’s first presidency,” NATO’s European member states sought “to reduce their reliance on arms imports and strengthen Europe’s arms industry.”

However, he added that “transatlantic arms supply relations remain deeply rooted. Imports from the U.S. have increased, and NATO’s European member states have ordered nearly 500 fighter jets and numerous other weapons from the U.S.”

He told AFP that while France does not heavily depend on the U.S., other major European powers such as Italy and the United Kingdom purchase F-35 stealth aircraft or Patriot air defense systems from the Americans, which are difficult to replace quickly.

Wezeman also pointed out that the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, which have tensions with the U.S. over Greenland’s future, are even more dependent on American weaponry.

According to him, “changing this situation would require significant political and financial investment. Acquiring weapons takes several years—often longer than a U.S. president’s term in office.”