France is world's second biggest arms exporter, just ahead of Russia: report

France has surpassed Russia to become the world's second-largest arms exporter after the United States, according to a report.

European weapons imports almost doubled in the past five years, partially because of the Ukraine conflict, while Russian arms exports dropped by half. Ukraine is now the fourth-largest arms importer globally.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed that French arms exports surged by 47 percent from 2014-2018 to 2019-2023. Pieter Wezeman, a SIPRI senior researcher, explained that France is pursuing 'strategic autonomy,' aiming to independently wield military force and maintain a self-sufficient defense industry, necessitating an expansion into international arms sales.

France actively promotes its defense industry's export capabilities, notably selling Rafale fighter jets to India, making France the country's second-biggest arms supplier after Russia.

In contrast, Russia’s arms exports slumped significantly even before its 2022 conflict with Ukraine. This decline has been attributed to China's growing capacity to produce its high-tech weapons and India's shift towards the superior quality arms from France and the US, in part due to viewing China as a potential threat. Furthermore, Russia's focus on its own military needs and international sanctions have hampered its arms trade.

Additionally, the war has propelled a surge in arms imports in Europe, with many countries donating weapons to Ukraine and subsequently investing in replenishing their own military stockpiles.

Despite this increased activity, NGOs and civil societies have had limited success curbing global arms sales, although a Dutch court has halted exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over international law concerns.

Finally, China's Global Times highlighted that Western countries, including the US and Western Europe, dominated global arms exports from 2019 to 2023, accounting for 72 percent. This was mentioned alongside criticisms of the West for bolstering the so-called "China threat" narrative while being major arms contributors themselves.