Global Defense Expenditure and Strategic Capability Shifts (legrandcontinent.eu)

• Global military spending driven by Europe and Asia
• Traditional fiscal metrics do not capture total combat effectiveness
• Aggregated European spending shifts the global power index

"SIPRI data for 2025 indicates a sharp rise in global military spending, concentrated in Europe and East/Southeast Asia. Despite U.S. dominance, recent regional conflicts, such as the war against Iran, demonstrate that fiscal spending is an imperfect proxy for actual military power. Aggregating defense budgets across the European continent—including the EU, UK, Norway, Ukraine, and Switzerland—provides a more nuanced perspective on the shifting balance of power in international security."