The world began to spend less on weapons: countries' spending in this area decreased by 2% in 2013. Meanwhile, Russia increased spending on defense by 5%. However, the authorities will be forced to cut funding for the country's rearmament due to the events in Ukraine and the economic depression, experts say.

Photo: Gleb Shchelkunov, Kommersant / buy photo

Global military spending fell by almost 2% last year. This is the conclusion reached by analysts at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SIPRI. According to experts, arms spending has decreased the most in the countries of Western and Central Europe, as well as in North America. Thus, US military spending fell by almost 8% compared to 2012. Meanwhile, an increase in arms spending was recorded in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Despite the increase in military spending in some regions, due to the financial crisis, global spending will continue to decline, says Viktor Myasnikov, a columnist for the weekly Independent Military Review.

“In the West, reductions have been going on for several years now. And the volumes by which third world countries are increasing spending are still in total terms less than the reductions that are taking place in Western countries, since Western countries spent a lot of money on defense, the same USA. If the United States continues to sequester its military budget at this rate, despite the fact that requests there are being reduced, and the Senate and Congress are cutting them even more, then, according to experts, by 2020 the total cuts will amount to $500 billion,” says Myasnikov.

According to SIPRI analysts, Chinese military spending increased by almost 7.5% last year. Also, Saudi Arabia increased spending on weapons by 14%, and Russia by almost 5%. In the future, global spending will increase at the expense of these countries, says Andrei Frolov, editor-in-chief of the Arms Export magazine.

“The methodology used by the researchers raises many questions. If we look at the actual state of things, indeed, the United States’ military budget has decreased somewhat. But at the same time, the Chinese and Russian military budgets, which occupy second and third places in the world ranking table, about spending, these military spending have significantly increased, as have a number of other countries with large military budgets. In the coming years, the main drivers of military spending in the world will be Russia, China and some countries of Eastern Europe. I mean, in relative terms, the Middle East. countries - Saudi Arabia, Qatar. Rather, the trend will be upward rather than downward, as SIPRI says,” Frolov believes.

As SIPRI analysts note, the increase in spending in Russia is associated with the weapons modernization program. In connection with the Ukrainian crisis, the plan to replace old and develop new equipment in Russia may be in jeopardy, noted independent military expert Pavel Felgenhauer.

“We have a rearmament program, for which a lot of money has been allocated. So far, no big outcome has come out of this, that is, there are expenses, but there is no serious armament yet. Some models of equipment are not fully operational or are not operational at all. The calculation was that in the coming years, after 2016, mass production of new combat-ready, more advanced weapons will begin. Whether this is true or not is unclear. Now, in the context of sanctions and economic depression, in the event of stagnation, the rearmament program is a very big question,” Felgenhauer said. .

Despite the reduction in military spending, the United States remains the country with the largest military spending. Its share in global spending is 37%.

Anastasia Vedeneeva

"Russia's rearmament program is in big question"