U.S. arms sales boom in 2022 due to war in Ukraine

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U.S. weapons sales to other countries experienced a major uptick in 2022, shooting up to more than $51.9 billion largely due to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

In the aftermath of the Feb. 24 invasion, European nations rushed to arm themselves, giving U.S. weapons sales a 49 percent boost from the $34.8 billion in sales in 2021, according to new data released Wednesday by the State Department.

Direct commercial sales also grew, with American defense contractors selling some $153.7 billion in weapons and military equipment directly to foreign governments in 2022, up from $103.4 billion the previous year.

The State Department attributed the spike to “authorizations adjudicated in support Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself from Russia’s unprovoked aggression.”

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