Denmark announced plans to acquire long-range precision weapons to counter potential threats from Russia, even though there is no immediate risk of attack to the Nordic country, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Wednesday.
The move comes after years of cuts to Denmark’s military budget and follows a recent increase aimed at addressing gaps revealed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “There is no doubt that Russia will be a threat to Europe and Denmark for years to come,” Frederiksen told reporters, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the acquisitions could include missiles and drones capable of striking targets deep in enemy territory, though he did not provide details on the budget or the specific weapons to be purchased.
Last week, Denmark, a NATO member, announced it would spend 58 billion Danish crowns ($9.2 billion) on European-made air defense systems, marking its largest arms purchase in history. Poulsen emphasized that the conflict in Ukraine underscores the need for both offensive strike capabilities and an integrated, layered air defense system combining ground- and air-based defenses.
