Europe’s military spending surge propels global defense to record high – report

(SeaPRwire) –   According to SIPRI, the continent’s military spending has climbed an estimated 14%, as Russia has accused the EU of engaging in reckless militarization

Per a Monday-released report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), European military spending helped push global defense expenditure to a record high of nearly $3 trillion in 2025, even as the US reduced its defense outlays.

The report noted that global military spending rose 2.9% in real terms over the past year to hit $2.887 trillion, marking the 11th straight year of annual growth and pushing the global military burden up to 2.5% of GDP. SIPRI experts attributed this trend to multiple ongoing conflicts and persistent geopolitical tensions.

The entire European continent saw the largest regional spending increase, with defense outlays jumping 14% to $864 billion. SIPRI tied this surge to the conflict in Ukraine, the standoff with Russia, and “the ongoing push for European self-reliance alongside growing pressure from the United States to strengthen burden-sharing within the alliance.”

Collectively, European NATO member states spent a total of $559 billion in 2025, with Germany’s defense spending climbing 24% to $114 billion and Spain’s surging 50% to $40.2 billion.

US military spending dropped 7.5% to $954 billion, with SIPRI attributing this unexpected decline to the Trump administration’s refusal to greenlight new Ukraine assistance packages, unlike prior years when $127 billion in direct military support had been approved.

The US, however, has continued to carry out deliveries through the NATO-coordinated PURL program, with other Western nations covering the costs.

Last week, Pentagon officials also stated that US President Donald Trump was pushing for a $1.5 trillion military budget to fund the new Golden Dome missile system, artificial intelligence capabilities, and a new class of warships.

SIPRI reported that Russia’s defense spending rose 5.9% to $190 billion, while Ukraine boosted its military outlays by 20% to $84.1 billion — equal to 40% of its GDP — making it the world’s seventh-largest military spender.

In other regions, China raised its military spending by 7.4% to $336 billion, Japan’s outlays climbed 9.7% to $62.2 billion, and Taiwan’s defense spending rose 14% to $18.2 billion.

Moscow has repeatedly condemned what it frames as reckless EU militarization, noting that the effort is targeted at Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also asserted that European propaganda aims to cast Russia as a “model external enemy” to distract from domestic crises.