Russia military spending on the up, as US and EU cut costs

Russia spends more on arms compared to its GDP than the US and European countries, according to fresh figures released on the 14 April 2014 by Sipri, a military spending research group.

The US remains the world's top military spender in gross terms (€460bn), but its spending decreased by over 7 percent compared to the previous year, mainly because of the withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan.

ESO: Background information: EU countries outgunned on arms trade http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-countries-outgunned-on-arms-trade/

ESO: Background information: Russia’s sluggish economy is not a function of the Ukraine crisis or sanctions, but reflects long term economic trends http://www.europeansources.info/record/russias-sluggish-economy-is-not-a-function-of-the-ukraine-crisis-or-sanctions-but-reflects-long-term-economic-trends/

SIPRI: Press Release, 14.04.14: Military spending continues to fall in the West but rises everywhere else, says SIPRI http://www.sipri.org/media/pressreleases/2014/Milex_April_2014

Deutsche Welle, 13.04.14: Military spending on the rise, except in the West http://dw.de/p/1Bgfw

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