Europe was one of the main contributors to the global surge in military spending in 2024, according to new data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). In what is likely the steepest rise in global military expenditure in over 30 years, European countries allocated USD 693 billion to armament, as part of a broader militarization campaign that has alarmed trade unions and the public.
Large European economies, particularly Germany, Poland, France, and Britain, figure prominently on SIPRI’s list of the world’s top military spenders, alongside regional neighbors Russia and Ukraine. “The latest policies adopted in Germany and many other European countries suggest that Europe has entered a period of high and increasing military spending that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future,” warned SIPRI researcher Lorenzo Scarazzato.
While Russia’s USD 149 billion military budget exceeds that of any individual European country, the combined defense spending of just four EU members – Germany, France, Poland, and Italy – surpasses Russia’s by over USD 80 billion. This raises further questions about the rationale behind the EU’s militarization push under the ReArm Europe initiative.
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Analysts have associated the regional increase in spending to the war in Ukraine and fears among European governments about the future of their alliance with the United States, particularly as the second Trump administration pressures them to increase NATO contributions and threatens new tariffs. But this strategy may not work as intended. “It is worth saying that boosting spending alone will not necessarily translate into significantly greater military capability or independence from the USA,” noted SIPRI’s Jade Guiberteau. “Those are far more complex tasks.”
In this landscape, Ukraine finds itself in a specific position. Already among Europe’s top military spenders, it would rank even higher if the USD 60 billion in military aid it received were counted as part of its own budget instead of being attributed to donor countries. “If it were included, Ukraine’s military spending would have totaled USD 135 billion, making it the fourth biggest spender in the world,” the report states. Additionally, all of Ukraine’s tax revenue currently goes to military spending, SIPRI’s Diego Lopes da Silva pointed out.
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Meanwhile, supporters of the Zelenskyy administration in Europe continue to back a military solution to the conflict, avoiding serious negotiations for peace. In the US, while the Trump administration has floated initiatives to end the war, it also recently signed a so-called mineral deal with Ukraine, which is expected to give them access to a notable part of the country’s mineral, oil, and gas reserves in return for military assistance and a harsher approach to Russian authorities.
In contrast to existing trends, regional anti-war campaigners argue that endless arms transfers are prolonging the conflict without any clear plan for resolution. Activists from the Stop the War coalition point out that this approach not only leads to more deaths in Ukraine but also drains public resources across Europe. Billions spent on weapons come at the cost of social security and public services in the region.
Writing of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Andrew Murray of Stop the War stated that “he is placing warfare above the people’s welfare at every turn, invoking mythical threats to justify pouring more and more money into the arms industry at the expense of basic provisions for the disabled, pensioners and the poor in general.” The same could be said of other European leaders, who continue to prioritize militarization over building real security in the region.
