Denmark will acquire long-range weapons for its defense for the first time

The Government of Denmark announced this Wednesday the first purchase of long-range precision weapons to reinforce its defense due to the increase of the Russian "threat". "Russia is testing us, it is testing our unity. There is no doubt that Russia will be a threat to Denmark and Europe for many years," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at a press conference. Both Frederiksen and the Minister of Defense, Troels Lund Poulsen, nevertheless highlighted that the purchase has "deterrent" effects and that there is no concrete threat. "Our security depends on our ability to defend ourselves and whether we have the will to do so," Frederiksen pointed out, who spoke of a "paradigm shift" in Danish defense. The Danish government indicated that the announcement is based on a recommendation from the General Staff, although it did not specify the type of weapons to be acquired or the timeframe in which they will be ready. Poulsen assured that he expects the purchase to be financed "within the current defense framework with the economy we have set." The Danish Executive - a coalition led by the Social Democrats, which also includes two liberal forces - announced last week that it will spend 58 billion kroner (7.769 billion euros) on the purchase of eight European-made air defense systems, the largest arms purchase in its history. They will be the first air defense systems that Denmark will possess since 2004 and one of them will be operational by the end of this year.

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Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Denmark has repeatedly increased defense spending, and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, a Social Democrat, has been a staunch supporter of rearmament at the national and European levels. A NATO document made public on August 28 estimated Denmark's defense spending at 3.22% of GDP, which has also reformed its military service, introducing the obligation for women and increasing its duration from four to 11 months.