Ukraine was the 3rd largest importer of arms in 2022, thanks to aid from US, Europe

Ukraine was the third largest importer of arms in 2022 thanks to aid from the United States and Europe. Ukraine imported few major arms until the end of 2021.

But Moscow’s invasion on Feb. 24 last year markedly changed that. Only Qatar — which has dramatically ramped up its arms purchasing in the past decade — and India imported more arms in the year, SIPRI said in its report on global arms transfers.

Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Program noted that even as arms transfers declined globally last year, "those to Europe have risen sharply due to the tensions between Russia and most other European states." He said that following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European states want to import more arms, "faster."