STOCKHOLM (AP) — For the first time in 10 years, Russia last year spent a bigger share of its overall economy on arms investments than the U.S. as it seeks to bolster its military capability, a Swedish arms watchdog said Monday.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said Russia increased its military spending in 2013 by 4.8 percent to $87.8 billion, representing 4.1 percent of its gross domestic product. Meanwhile, global military spending fell by 1.9 percent in 2013 to $1.7 trillion, as many Western countries cut arms investments following the financial crisis.
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