Commentators at the German business daily Handelsblatt report that almost a quarter of Germany’s total arms exports now goes to support Ukraine.

Citing a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the authors say Berlin has used the conflict in Ukraine to sharply increase its weapons deliveries on the global market. According to the article, German defence companies have leveraged this demand to solidify the Federal Republic’s position among the leading players in the arms industry. The paper also notes that Germany has increased the share of its weapons exports to Israel and Egypt to 17 percent.

Handelsblatt writes that, based on SIPRI’s data, the five largest suppliers of major weapons systems in 2021–2025 are the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China. The authors underline that Germany has become the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, overtaking China, and that nearly 25 percent of German weapons exports are tied directly to support for Ukraine.

The piece recalls that in February this year German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that Berlin had become Kiev’s largest sponsor, having allocated 55 billion euros for military purposes since 2022. The article also points out that the Russian side has repeatedly argued that arms deliveries to Ukraine obstruct any settlement of the conflict. The Kremlin, it notes, considers NATO countries to be «playing with fire» by continuing these supplies.