Half of Israel’s Arms Exports Go to India

Israeli soldiers patrolling along the Israeli-Lebanese border on January 20, 2014. AFP file photo
Israeli soldiers patrolling along the Israeli-Lebanese border on January 20, 2014. AFP file photo
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Half of Israel’s Arms Exports Go to India

Israeli soldiers patrolling along the Israeli-Lebanese border on January 20, 2014. AFP file photo
Israeli soldiers patrolling along the Israeli-Lebanese border on January 20, 2014. AFP file photo

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has said that Israel was the world's eighth largest arms exporter, a 55 percent increase in weapons exports in the past five years.

The report of Swedish-based SIPRI said India imports 49 percent of Israel’s arms.

Arms imports in the Middle East increased by 103 per cent in the past ten years, representing 32 percent of the volume of arms transfers in the world.

The largest customers for Israeli arms between 2013 and 2017 were India (49 percent) followed by Azerbaijan (13 percent) and Vietnam (6.3 percent), the institute reported.

Israel’s exports, included missiles, radars (and other sensors) and unmanned aerial vehicles, it said.

India and Azerbaijan procured loitering munitions from Israel, according to the report.

It added that Israel is the 17th largest importer of arms in the world, 60 percent of which came from the United States, followed by Germany (30 percent) and Italy (10 percent).

Israel’s arms imports also increased by 125 percent in the past five years, SIPRI said.



Ukraine Ready to Hold Talks with Russia Once Ceasefire Is in Place, Zelenskiy Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP)
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Ukraine Ready to Hold Talks with Russia Once Ceasefire Is in Place, Zelenskiy Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Ukraine would be ready to hold talks with Russia in any format once a ceasefire is in place and the fighting between Kyiv and Moscow's forces has stopped.

The Ukrainian leader also told reporters at a briefing that a Ukrainian delegation meeting officials from Western countries in London on Wednesday would have a mandate to discuss a full or partial ceasefire.

"We are ready to record that after a ceasefire, we are ready to sit down in any format so that there are no dead ends," Zelenskiy said at the briefing in the presidential office in Kyiv.

"It will not be possible to agree on everything quickly," he warned, noting numerous highly complex issues such as territory, security guarantees and Ukraine's membership in the NATO military alliance.

The talks in London, which are to set to bring together officials from the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Ukraine, come amid a flurry of intense US-led diplomatic efforts to find a way to end Russia's war with Ukraine.

Zelenskiy said he would be happy to meet US President Donald Trump later this week when they attend the funeral of Pope Francis.