Ukraine war sees global arms sales rise but watchdog warns of challenges ahead

Global arms sales rose by nearly 2% in the past year, the seventh consecutive year of increases, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has said (Jeffrey Schaeffer/AP)

Global arms sales rose by nearly 2% in 2021, the seventh consecutive year of increases, an international arms sales watchdog noted on Monday.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) added that the war in Ukraine has increased demand for weapons this year, but the conflict may also lead to a supply challenge, not least because Russia is a major supplier of raw materials used in arms production.