‘Massive arms fair’: Ukraine became the world’s largest importer of weapons in 2023

In 2023, Ukraine became the world’s largest importer of weapons.

This information reported according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Over the two years of war, no fewer than 30 countries supplied weapons to Ukraine as military aid. The United States provided 39% of Ukrainian weapon imports in 2019-23, followed by Germany (14%) and Poland (13%). However, only Warsaw made Kyiv its primary recipient of weaponry.

Russian arms exports decreased by 53%, placing it third after the United States and France. In 2019, Russia supplied weapons to 31 countries, 14 in 2022 and 12 in 2023.

Overall, from 2019 to 2023, Ukraine (4.9%) ranked among the top five largest importers of weapons, alongside India (9.8%), Saudi Arabia (8.4%), Qatar (7.6%) and Pakistan (4.3%). 

Ukraine also became the largest receiver of weapons in Europe, at 23%. However, Ukraine’s suppliers didn’t solely equip it; the U.S. supplied 4.7% of its total exports to Ukraine, while selling more to Saudi Arabia, Japan and Qatar; Germany to Egypt; Britain to Qatar; Canada to Saudi Arabia.

Ukraine itself actively sold weapons to China, Saudi Arabia and India, although it reduced this figure by 73% after the Maidan.

Europe increased its arms purchases by 94% from 2019 to 2023 compared to 2014-2018, while the global supply market decreased by 3.3%. Countries in Asia, Oceania and the Middle East bought much more weaponry than Europe.

Previously, The Wall Street Journal referred to the war in Ukraine as a “giant arms bazaar.” Manufacturers could showcase their weapons to the world, test them in real combat and debates over the characteristics of different weapons “could help shape military procurement for years to come.”

In turn, The New York Times reported that Ukraine paid hundreds of millions of dollars for weapons that were either not delivered or arrived in an unsatisfactory condition.