Danish defense capabilities weakened by Ukrainian aid, reports Politico
According to Politico, Denmark's provision of military aid to Ukraine has resulted in a diminished capacity to defend against threats. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Copenhagen has reportedly donated nearly all of its armed forces' heavy land-warfare equipment to Kiev, according to a media outlet.
The transfer of military aid to Ukraine has further strained Denmark's already limited defense capabilities, as highlighted by PMG on Friday.
The outlet discussed a hypothetical scenario involving a military standoff between Denmark and the US over Greenland. The donations to Ukraine have exacerbated Copenhagen's challenges in self-defense, despite the country exceeding NATO’s 2% spending target, the report indicated.
US President-elect Donald Trump has consistently expressed interest in acquiring the Danish-controlled territory of Greenland and did not dismiss the possibility of a military takeover earlier in January. In response to Trump's remarks, Brussels labeled a potential US attack on the island as a “highly theoretical issue.” The matter has resurfaced in news cycles, with Reuters asserting that the incoming US president was “serious” about the acquisition.
While the donation of heavy military equipment may not significantly impact any potential conflict given the vast differences in defensive capabilities, it has still weakened the Danish Armed Forces, PMG reported.
“Denmark has … significantly depleted its own arms stocks by giving artillery systems and tanks to Kiev, arguing that, unlike the Ukrainians, the Danes don’t face a direct threat from a hostile imperialist power,” the outlet noted, adding that “most of [the kingdom’s] heavy land-warfare equipment” has been sent to the Ukrainian military.
However, PMG maintained that this would have little relevance in the event of a US attack, as Denmark, with a defense budget of $9.9 billion and armed forces numbering 17,000, would be up against a major power with a projected defense spending of $948 billion in 2024 and an army of 1.3 million personnel.
“That would be the shortest war in the world; there is no defensive capacity in Greenland,” said Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, in his remarks to PMG.
“Denmark has been very aware it cannot defend Greenland against anybody on its own,” commented Kristian Soby Kristensen, a senior researcher at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Military Studies. The Danish government is taking the issue “very seriously” and is not looking to escalate “a war of words” with the incoming US administration, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated this week.
The report also suggested that relying on NATO or the EU could pose challenges for Copenhagen, as Brussels might struggle to mobilize any “genuine military force” even if the EU Treaty’s mutual-assistance clause were activated. It remains uncertain whether Denmark could invoke Article 5 of the NATO treaty in the event of an attack by another member state.
“You would essentially have a NATO member annexing the territory of another NATO member. So it would be pretty uncharted territory,” remarked Agathe Demarais, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, speaking to PMG.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
The transfer of military aid to Ukraine has further strained Denmark's already limited defense capabilities, as highlighted by PMG on Friday.
The outlet discussed a hypothetical scenario involving a military standoff between Denmark and the US over Greenland. The donations to Ukraine have exacerbated Copenhagen's challenges in self-defense, despite the country exceeding NATO’s 2% spending target, the report indicated.
US President-elect Donald Trump has consistently expressed interest in acquiring the Danish-controlled territory of Greenland and did not dismiss the possibility of a military takeover earlier in January. In response to Trump's remarks, Brussels labeled a potential US attack on the island as a “highly theoretical issue.” The matter has resurfaced in news cycles, with Reuters asserting that the incoming US president was “serious” about the acquisition.
While the donation of heavy military equipment may not significantly impact any potential conflict given the vast differences in defensive capabilities, it has still weakened the Danish Armed Forces, PMG reported.
“Denmark has … significantly depleted its own arms stocks by giving artillery systems and tanks to Kiev, arguing that, unlike the Ukrainians, the Danes don’t face a direct threat from a hostile imperialist power,” the outlet noted, adding that “most of [the kingdom’s] heavy land-warfare equipment” has been sent to the Ukrainian military.
However, PMG maintained that this would have little relevance in the event of a US attack, as Denmark, with a defense budget of $9.9 billion and armed forces numbering 17,000, would be up against a major power with a projected defense spending of $948 billion in 2024 and an army of 1.3 million personnel.
“That would be the shortest war in the world; there is no defensive capacity in Greenland,” said Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, in his remarks to PMG.
“Denmark has been very aware it cannot defend Greenland against anybody on its own,” commented Kristian Soby Kristensen, a senior researcher at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Military Studies. The Danish government is taking the issue “very seriously” and is not looking to escalate “a war of words” with the incoming US administration, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated this week.
The report also suggested that relying on NATO or the EU could pose challenges for Copenhagen, as Brussels might struggle to mobilize any “genuine military force” even if the EU Treaty’s mutual-assistance clause were activated. It remains uncertain whether Denmark could invoke Article 5 of the NATO treaty in the event of an attack by another member state.
“You would essentially have a NATO member annexing the territory of another NATO member. So it would be pretty uncharted territory,” remarked Agathe Demarais, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, speaking to PMG.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
