Russia's invasion has not only destabilized Ukraine but also kept Denmark on the qui vive.
Europe is on the tenterhooks as Russian forces escalate attacks in Eastern Ukraine.
European countries are bracing themselves in the event of a Russian strike.
Denmark's neighboring countries- Finland and Sweden have already applied to join NATO.
Denmark, though being a NATO member since 1949, has remained on the sidelines when it comes to
taking an active defense posture, but now, it is making a shift from its unusual position.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes how Russian aggression in Ukraine has pushed Denmark to the
Europe Security framework? Let's get into the details
Denmark has kept itself aloof for three decades from the European Union.
All 26 EU members accept its defense policies except Denmark.
Denmark does not send its troops to go on joint EU military missions,
nor does it play any part in the EU's defense discussions.
However, now Denmark wants to turn a new leaf. It wants to join the Europe security framework.
A historic referendum took place, where the Danish government put its defense opt-out to vote.
The Danish citizens voted on whether their country should have a deeper involvement in the EU or not.
There was a consensus among most political
parties of Denmark - 11 out of 14 wanted to join the EU framework.
Danish leaders had argued the regional security situation has changed,
and that called for Denmark to work more closely with the EU on defense issues.
"I believe with all my heart that we have to vote yes,"
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said during a televised debate earlier. "At a time when
we need to fight for security in Europe, we need to be more united with our neighbors."
The outcome is a yes vote with 66.9% of voters approving it.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the result of the referendum
sent “a very important signal to our allies in Europe and NATO, and to Putin.”
Naturally, this is not happy news for Russia and it has made its discontent quite clear.
Moscow has withdrawn its supply of gas to one Danish company.
This move hasn't yet disrupted supplies in Denmark.
Joining the European framework will allow Danish forces to participate in joint
EU military training, develop & acquire more military hardware with the EU,
and have sway over Europe's overall defense policy.
The Danish military was created in 1510. They are one of the oldest armed forces and have fought
many significant battles, viz, The Thirty Years' war in the Roman Empire between 1618 and 1648,
the Great Northern War between 1700 to 1721 and the Napoleonic Wars from 1803 to 1815.
Now, Denmark is preparing to take on Russia if the need arises. Copenhagen is also implementing
a significant shift in its budget. In March 2022, according to the country's defense budget,
it set aside 1 billion dollars to be spent on the country's military in the next 2 years.
In the next decade, the Nordic country intends to increase
its defense spending to 2% of its GDP by 2033.
This is not the only thing on Denmark's plate right now.
It is also contemplating on another issue at hand-- whether to allow American soldiers to
be stationed in Denmark. Discussion in this regard began in February. With Denmark's nod,
U.S. troops will set foot on Danish soil, train and conduct exercises in Denmark.
It will be of paramount importance and have an immense political impact, more so because Denmark
has never allowed any foreign country on its soil since the 1950s. This was done in an attempt to
appease the Soviet Union. However, now its stance looks different. The invasion of Ukraine has
changed everything. It aims to become independent of Russia's natural gas at the earliest
and will not shy away from facing Russia. Finland and Sweden are concerned about a
Russian invasion too and that would pose a threat to Denmark's security as well.
So they are strengthening their armed forces and deepening their ties with the EU.
The ruling Social Democrats’ defense spokesperson, Mogens Jensen, said: “NATO will, of course,
remain our most important tool, but the EU gives us another in securing our defense in the east.”
It is clear that Sweden and Finland's application to become members of NATO
as well as Denmark's willingness to join the security framework are outcomes of Russia's
invasion. In the present atmosphere of turmoil, it is imperative for smaller
European states around the Baltic, Arctic and the Black Seas to quit sitting on the fence and fully
be a part of the EU security architecture. Once peaceful, they are now potential flashpoints.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shaken Europe up and exposed the many chinks in its armor
and it is now gearing up to protect itself. Ms. Frederiksen said:
“We're showing that when Putin invades a free country and threatens the stability in Europe,
we others pull together." “When freedom knocks on Europe's door and it's war again on our continent,
you cannot be neutral. We support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”
All said and done, another struggle with Russia seems to be ahead for Europe
and that is reaching an inflection point.
It remains to be seen how well Europe responds to the changing dynamics.