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Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
A frugal no more: Russian threat shifts Denmark's thinking on defence spending
When patrolling the coast of Greenland up near the Arctic Circle on one of Denmark 's naval ships, the commanding officer, Jens Bach, says the only Russians he comes across are in fishing boats. The bigger concern for Denmark is what might be going on closer to home in the waters of the Baltic Sea. There have been reported instances of Russian interference, such as the jamming of navigation systems. 'I think it's something that mostly happens in the Baltic area, not that much up in the high north,' says Bach, who was speaking while on the docked naval ship in Aarhus harbour. Nordic neighbours have recorded a rise in incidents of undersea cables being sabotaged, with Moscow viewed as the most likely culprit. READ MORE Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago was a 'wake up call' for Denmark and Europe, says minister for defence Troels Lund Poulsen. Back then Denmark spent about 1.5 per cent of its economic output, or gross domestic product (GDP), on defence. This year it plans to have raised defence spending to 3.2 per cent, a significant increase in a short space of time. 'We need to be able to defend ourselves by 2030 at the latest,' Lund Poulsen says. Anxiety about the future threat Russia poses to Europe if Vladimir Putin is allowed to succeed in Ukraine has changed public attitudes. [ Denmark greenlights US military bases on Danish soil Opens in new window ] Denmark had always been sceptical about leaning further into the European Union and for three decades had a formal 'opt-out' of the union's common defence policy. The clause was introduced to allay fears that closer integration would eventually lead to Danes being sent off to fight under the flag of a joint EU army. Two thirds of voters backed a proposal to ditch the opt-out in a June 2022 referendum, meaning Copenhagen has a free hand to co-operate on plans to boost Europe's defence industry. There was a recognition that Denmark could not go it alone and instead needed to be 'all-in on the European dimension', according to Derek Beach, a professor of political science at Aarhus University. 'It's really been remarkable how quickly that shifted after the invasion,' Beach says. 'It is quite clear something happened related to Danish attitudes to increased defence spending, due to fear of Russia,' he says. In proportion to its population of about six million people, Denmark is one of the biggest contributors of military and financial aid to Ukraine, sending more than €9 billion to Kyiv to help it keep fighting. It has been doing more on the home front as well. A draft calling up several thousand young men to spend up to 11 months in the military has been extended to young women as well. It is planning to deploy floating drones in the Baltic Sea to keep a closer eye on undersea cables, given they are vulnerable to hybrid attacks and sabotage. The sight of Russian tanks streaming across Ukraine's border also prompted two of its Nordic neighbours, Finland and Sweden, to join Nato. Denmark was one of the original members of the western military alliance and recently pushed for a tight time frame to be set on commitments to massively increase defence spending. Nato members ultimately signed up to spend five per cent of their economic output on defence and related infrastructure projects, by 2035. It was not just a growing fear of Russia that ended Danes' reluctance about deepening EU ties. The population paid close attention to the rough time Britain had after leaving the union. 'Watching Brexit turn into a sh*t show really impacted Danish attitudes,' Beach says. US president Donald Trump's threat to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark in the Arctic, pushed Copenhagen even closer to its European allies. One of the few centre-left heads of government in Europe, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen has enjoyed a boost in popularity on the back of her strong support for Ukraine. 'She's very much an Iron Lady and takes a crisis very seriously,' Beach says. Politically the government does not fit into any one neat box. It is led by the Social Democrats yet takes a very hard line on migration. It is instinctively fiscally conservative, yet ambitious on climate and the green transition and hawkish on defence spending. Frederiksen, who has led the Social Democrats for a decade, took them into power in 2019. They improved their position in the last election in 2022, but rather than govern with a razor-thin majority, Frederiksen opted for a coalition with two smaller parties, the centre-right Liberals and the Moderates, a centrist party led by former prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. The Social Democrats' political success is in part due to a major pivot around 2015, when it started taking a tougher approach to those seeking asylum in Denmark. Frederiksen's rightward lurch cut off oxygen to far right nationalist forces, who are threatening to unseat many mainstream governments elsewhere in Europe. The government is in the middle of a second pivot which may prove to be as defining. Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden have been known as the 'frugal four', who are keen to rein in EU spending and limit the bloc's budget. The fiscally conservative group has resisted calls for the 27 member states to raise money by borrowing funds together. Cash-strapped southern and eastern states favour common borrowing because the EU would be able to command better loan repayment terms than they would individually. Those with healthier budgets, like the frugals, Germany and Ireland, are nervous about the proposal leading to unchecked EU spending. In a notable shift, Frederiksen has said Denmark will no longer be among the 'frugal' camp, in the coming negotiations about the size and shape of the next EU budget. This change of heart may stretch to support for some type of common borrowing, on the condition the money raised was put towards defence. Europe had made a 'grave mistake' by taking its security for granted, Frederiksen said in a speech in Aarhus in recent days. 'For too long we spent too little and we must never repeat that again. We need to rearm,' she said. Berlin has changed its thinking too. Conservative chancellor Friedrich Merz's new German government has thrown open the door to a major expansion in the amount it spends on its military, after decades of fiscal restraint. Minister for European affairs Marie Bjerre says Denmark understood the 'status quo' would not cut in when it came to the next EU budget, which is always the product of a contentious fight between Brussels and national governments. 'It is not the Danish government policy that the budget should be bigger or that we should have common debt,' she says. 'However, I think we have said quite clearly we do not consider ourselves part of the Frugal Four, meaning that we are not rejecting anything beforehand. We will go into these discussions with an open mind, because we are in crucial times for Europe.'
Euractiv
02-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Denmark says Europeans should continue buying US military equipment
COPENHAGEN – Despite strained relations recently between Denmark and the United States, the country's defence minister said European forces should keep investing in US-made military equipment. Troels Lund Poulsen said he does not see an "imminent threat" to Denmark's territorial integrity, despite bellicose demands from US President Donald Trump to take control of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. But Poulsen added that "we have had very great support from all the European countries" on Greenland. Difficult relations with Trump, however, are no reason to break long-standing defence ties with the US. As Poulsen told journalists in Copenhagen on Wednesday, European countries still need "to invest in military capabilities from the US' – pointing to recent decisions by EU countries to purchase additional F-35 jets as a good example. "But I think we could do more here in Europe to have a focus on developing new capabilities," Poulsen said, adding that military investments would make it "so that we are not that dependent on the US". Denmark and other NATO allies, including most EU countries, recently agreed to increase defence and related spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Denmark has taken over the rotating Council presidency for the next few months and will have added influence in negotiating EU legislation. Poulsen vowed that Denmark's leadership of the Council "will not be business as usual" amid multiple "threats to the global order". Besides competitiveness, Copenhagen has set out to defence as a top EU policy priority. Poulsen also said that Denmark is prepared to invest an additional €1.5 billion in Ukraine to build artillery systems, drones and missiles. (bts)
Russia Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Germany announces deployment of warships to Arctic
Germany will send navy ships to patrol Arctic waters in response to Russia's growing military presence in the region, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Monday. Russia has insisted that it is mirroring NATO moves in the far north to maintain balance. Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Moscow is closely monitoring the situation in the region and is implementing an appropriate response strategy to potential encroachments on the country's sovereignty. Russia's Arctic coastline stretches over 24,000km. 'As early as this year, Germany will show its presence in the North Atlantic and the Arctic,' Pistorius said at a joint press conference with his Danish counterpart, Troels Lund Poulsen, in Copenhagen. The minister added that the deployment operation, dubbed 'Atlantic Bear', would come in response to mounting maritime threats, claiming 'Russia is militarizing the Arctic.' Pistorius specified that one of Germany's support ships would 'go from Iceland to Greenland and then on to Canada' to take part in joint military drills with NATO allies, including Denmark, Norway, and Canada. 'In addition, we will deploy our maritime patrol aircraft, submarines, and frigates to demonstrate our commitment to that region,' he added. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in April that members of the US-led military bloc are 'working together' in the Arctic to 'defend this part of NATO territory.' The Kremlin has insisted that NATO's continuing militarization of the region is unwarranted, and that Russia will mirror the moves taken by the bloc. In March, Putin reiterated that Moscow is 'concerned by the fact that NATO countries as a whole are more frequently designating the far north as a bridgehead for possible conflicts.' 'I would like to emphasize that Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic,' the Russian president said. He stressed, however, that Moscow would 'reliably protect' its interests in the region by reinforcing its military contingent in response to Western actions.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Denmark announces nearly $600 million in military aid to Ukraine
Denmark has prepared its 26th military aid package for Ukraine, worth 4 billion Danish kroner (approximately $598 million), the Danish Defense Ministry announced on May 17. The package includes additional artillery and shells via the Czech ammunition initiative as well as equipment for fighter jets, the ministry said. A portion of the funds will also go towards increasing training capacity for Ukrainian forces. "Unfortunately, Ukraine's need for help and support has not diminished. I am happy and proud that we can once again allocate funds for donations that will make a difference on the battlefield in both the short and long term," Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said. Denmark's latest military aid package is financed under the country's Ukraine Fund and the European Peace Facility (EPF). The assistance covers the years 2025-2028. The additional funds to the Czech initiative will allow Ukraine to better plan for a stable supply of ammunition, the ministry said. "Denmark is doing what we can to give Ukraine the best possible hand both on the battlefield and in the negotiating room," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said. Denmark has pioneered efforts to support Ukraine by investing in its defense industry, creating the so-called "Danish model" of purchasing arms for Kyiv from Ukrainian producers. Copenhagen has provided around $9.8 billion in military aid under its Ukraine Fund for the years 2023-2028. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia launches record 273-drone attack on Ukraine ahead of planned Trump-Putin call We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Denmark announces long-term military aid package for Ukraine worth US$628m
Denmark's Ministry of Defence has unveiled the details of its 26th military aid package for Ukraine, totalling approximately DKK 4.2 billion (about US$628.4 million). Source: Danish Ministry of Defence, as reported by European Pravda Details: The 26th package, which is planned for the period 2025 to 2028, is funded by Denmark's Ukraine Fund and the EU's European Peace Facility. Under the package, Ukraine will receive additional artillery systems and shells financed as part of the Czech-led ammunition procurement initiative. The Danish Defence Ministry stated that additional funding allocated to the Czech-led initiative in 2025 could finance another batch of artillery shells, helping Ukraine ensure stable artillery ammunition supplies. In addition, Ukraine will receive equipment for combat aircraft, expanded training support and other forms of assistance. "Unfortunately, Ukraine's need for aid and support has not diminished," said Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. "I am pleased and proud that we can again provide funding for assistance that will make a difference on the battlefield both in the short and long term." Denmark has allocated a total of 66.1 billion kroner for military aid to Kyiv under the Ukraine Fund for the years 2023-2028. Background: The previous, 25th military aid package – valued at US$970 million – was announced by Denmark in early April. In early May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed further investments in Ukraine's defence industry with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
