The increase marked the 11th consecutive annual rise in global defense spending and pushed military expenditure to 2.5% of global gross domestic product, the highest share since 2009, according to SIPRI.

The U.S., China and Russia remained the world’s three largest military spenders, accounting for a combined $1.48 trillion, or 51% of total global military expenditure.

U.S. military spending fell 7.5% to $954 billion in 2025, primarily because no new financial military assistance for Ukraine was approved after years of extensive wartime support following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.SIPRI said U.S. military funding for Ukraine totaled $127 billion over the previous three years.

“The decline in U.S. military expenditure in 2025 is likely to be short-lived,” the institute said, noting that spending approved by Congress for 2026 had already risen to more than $1 trillion and could climb further to $1.5 trillion in 2027.

Europe was the main driver of the increase in global military spending, with regional expenditure rising 14% to $864 billion as governments accelerated rearmament programs amid continued security concerns linked to the war in Ukraine and broader NATO defense commitments.

Spending by Russia and Ukraine continued to rise in the fourth year of the war, while NATO members in Central and Western Europe recorded the sharpest annual increase since the end of the Cold War, reflecting sustained efforts to strengthen deterrence and replenish military stockpiles.

SIPRI said the combination of immediate security crises and long-term military modernization plans suggested the upward trend would likely continue through 2026 and beyond.“Given the range of current crises, as well as many states’ long-term military spending targets, this growth will probably continue,” the report said.

In the Middle East, military expenditure showed mixed movement.Israel’s defense spending fell 4.9% to $48.3 billion as the war in Gaza eased in 2025, reducing the intensity of active operations compared with the previous year.Iran’s military spending declined for the second consecutive year, falling 5.6% to $7.4 billion, reflecting continued economic pressures and fiscal constraints.

The figures underscore how geopolitical tensions from Eastern Europe to the Middle East continue to shape defense budgets even as shifts in U.S. policy alter the pace and distribution of military support among allies.

The $24 million deal for Colt Carbine 5.56mm fully automatic rifles was officially notified to Congress by the State Department on March 6. The stated end user is the Israeli National Police.

A Controversial Deal

While the sale is relatively small compared to the billions of dollars in U.S. arms supplied to Israel, it has drawn significant attention due to previous concerns that the rifles could be used by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The Biden administration had initially delayed the deal, citing fears that some of the weapons might end up in the hands of settlers involved in attacks on Palestinians.

Under Biden, the U.S. had imposed sanctions on individuals and entities linked to settler violence in the West Bank. However, on his first day in office on January 20, Trump rescinded those sanctions through an executive order, reversing U.S. policy. Since then, his administration has approved multiple arms sales to Israel worth billions of dollars.

The March 6 notification to Congress stated that the U.S. had considered “political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control” factors in approving the sale. However, the State Department did not confirm whether any assurances had been sought from Israel regarding how the rifles would be used.

Deepening U.S.-Israel Ties

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war, and the settlements it has built there are widely considered illegal under international law—though Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical connections to the land.

Violence by settlers against Palestinians had already been rising before the Gaza war erupted, and it has intensified since the conflict began over a year ago.

Trump has maintained close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, promising unwavering support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. His administration has proceeded with multiple arms sales to Israel, even as some Democratic lawmakers have urged for pauses to review their potential impact.

On Thursday, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly rejected an attempt to block $8.8 billion in arms sales to Israel due to human rights concerns. Senators voted 82-15 and 83-15 against two resolutions, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, which aimed to halt the sale of massive bombs and other offensive weapons.

Context of the Conflict

The rifle sale was initially put on hold after Democratic lawmakers demanded clarity on how Israel intended to use them. While congressional committees eventually cleared the deal, the Biden administration had kept it frozen.

The current phase of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources. In response, Israel has carried out a military campaign that, according to Gaza health authorities, has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians.

Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir—a far-right member of Netanyahu’s government—oversees the country’s police force. In November 2023, The Times of Israel reported that his ministry had placed “a heavy emphasis on arming civilian security squads” in the wake of the October 7 attacks.

This latest arms deal reflects the Trump administration’s continued push to support Israel militarily, despite concerns from human rights advocates and opposition from some U.S. lawmakers.