Vienna/Stockholm – Because of the tensions with Russia, Europe has massively upgraded in recent years. Arms imports rose by 47 percent in the period from 2018 to 2022 compared to the previous years, and in the European NATO countries it was even 65 percent more. The beneficiary of the development is the United States, which further expanded its position as the largest arms exporter, according to a report by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published on Monday.