Photo by: Bloomberg
COLD WAR LEVELS: Global military spending rose to a record last year, with the invasion of Ukraine having an immediate impact on military spending decisions. Overall, defence expenditure increased by 3.7% in real terms to reach $2.24-trillion, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported. Military expenditure in Europe saw its steepest year-on-year increase in at least 30 years, while the three largest spenders in 2022 were the US, China and Russia, which accounted for 56% of the world total. Photograph: Bloomberg