Europe becoming arms Power house despite increased imports, says SIPRI .
The Ukraine war has increased Europe’s dependence on arms imports in the post fire years, but it may also have helped to Tura Europe into a rising arms manufacturer and exporter.
New research suggests.
Imports of major arms by European states more than tripled during 2021-25 When the Ukraine war has raged, Compared with the previous five year period of 2016-20, the Stockholm International (SIPRI) said in its annual Arms Transfers report released on Monday.
Since the state of Russia’s full Scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has developed into a high tech conflict. Swarms of Spy and killer drones have set the skies of Ukraine abuzz and uncrewed boats have crippled the Russian navy in the Black sea. Now, Ukraine has embarked on a massive programme to deploy armed robots on the ground. Uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), or ground robot systems as they are known in Ukrainian Military parlance, have already proven their worth.
A Russian missile strike killed at least 10 people, including two children, after hitting a residential apartment block in Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkir. The attack brought down an entire entrance section of the five storey building from the first floor to fifth, trapping residents under the rubble. the KYIV post reported.
The strike on Kharkir was part of a boarded overnight assault, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying Russian forces launched 29 missiles and 480 Drones, targeting energy facilities in KYIV and other central regions with damage reported across at least seven locations nation wide.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, with tired eyes, deep worry lines and a beard flecked with Gray, boarded a train on Thursday night in KYIV to visit his troops in eastern Ukraine, Where the fighting has been fiecest. It seemed a lonely Journey.
The U.S.-Israel war launched against Iran almost a week earlier had pulled the world’s attention away from Ukraine’s bloody war with Russia and delayed the next round of America backed peace talks. supplies of air defence missiles that Ukraine desperately would like for itself were being quickly consumed in the middle East. At home, Ukrainians were increasingly exhausted after cruel winter of Russia strikes.
In 2025, the Russia-Ukraine war intensified in to a brutal, high attrition conflict, with Russia capturing roughly 4% more Ukraine territory ( totally 20%) and 2025 becoming the deadliest year for civilians. key developments included the fall of Pokrovsk, intense drone Warfare and by early 2026, Russia suffering 40,000 Casualties monthly, exceeding its recruitment capacity.
Russia forces conducted a large scale series of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of march 6 to 7 that resulted in significand civilian casualties in Kharkir city. The Ukrainian Air force reported that Russian forces launched two Zirkon Hypersonic cruise missiles from occupied Crimea 13 Iskander M/S 400 ballistic missiles from Bryansk, Kursk, and Voronezh Oblasts and 14 Kalibr cruise missiles from black sea. The Ukrainian Air forces also launched 480 Shahed type, and other strike drones of which about 290 were Shahed Drones from the directions of Bryansi, Kursk, Oryol cities Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast.
since his return to the while House, U.S. president Donald Trump has reduced his country’s military aid to Kyiv. if Ukraine’s allies, where EV states. Australia or Canada. purchased large quantities of heavy weapons. such as air defence missile. from the U.S. and made them available to Ukraine, SIPRI still counts them as U.S. arms exports to Ukraine Despite this. Ukraine this, Ukraine is no longer the sole reason for the increase in imports to Europe.
Demond for weapons on the part of European NATO members has also been boosted by the perceived threat from Russia and Trump’s warnings to the European Union according to the SIPRI report. arms imports by the 25 European NATO countries rose by 143% in the period between 2021 and 2025 compared to the period 2016 to 2021.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday discussed the Iran war and Ukraine conflict during a “frank and constructive telephone call, the Kremlin said Putin and Trump held a one hour call in their first talks since December and Washington diplomatic advisor Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
European Council President Antonio costa has said Russia is the only country benefitting from the U.S. Israeli war on Iran, as global energy prices soar and attention from MOSCOW’S four year Conflict with Ukraine is diverted.
Now in its 11th day, the war has spiralled rapidly throughout the region as Iranian forces hit back at well as facilities in the Gulf. It has also slowed oil and natural gas flows through the strategic strait of Hormuz to a near standstill, pussing fuel prices upwards and threatening far reaching impacts on a number of industries.
Russia and Ukraine held three rounds of talks in Turkiye last year and have conducted several more U.S. mediated sessions in Abu Dhabi and Geneva this year. But they remain far apart on key issues, especially on Russia’s demand for Ukraine to cede control of the whole of its eastern Donetsk region.
On Monday, U.S. president Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin held their first phone call of the year, during which they discussed the wars in Iran and Ukraine.
The Kremlin said the possibility of lifting U.S. sanctions on Russian oil had not been discussed in any detail with Washington, but that U.S. actions were aimed at stabilising global energy markets.
Russia and Ukraine bath claim frontline progress with U.S. brokered talks on hold U.S. brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine are on hold as Washington’s attention is gripped by the Iran war which has drawn the international spotlight from Ukraine’s plight as it strives to hold back Russia’s bigger army.