While Russia (2016: position 5) continues to be among the ten most militarized countries, the risen level of militarization of Ukraine has resulted in a change of position from number 23 in 2015 to position 15 in 2016. Not only Ukraine but Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, as well as the Baltic countries increased their military expenditures, showing a simultaneous drop in gross domestic product (GDP). “This leads to a generally higher ranking of eastern European countries in the Militarization Index, as the GMI puts the allocation of resources to the military in the context of the wider society, for …read more
Global Militarization Index 2016 Trends in militarization in Europe
