U.S. weapons exports in 2023 increased by more than 50% from 2022, earning defense companies $81 billion in profits driven by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Politico reported Jan. 29, citing unpublished State Department figures. Russia’s war has spurred the U.S. arms industry, which supplies military hardware to Ukraine and wary NATO allies amid increasingly aggressive anti-Western posturing from Moscow. Sales of attack and transport helicopters, and long-range missile launchers to Poland and Germany constituted around $30 billion in the three largest deals, according to the report. …