Denmark announced on Tuesday May 30 that it will triple its military spending over the next ten years. Investments of 143 billion Danish crowns (about 19.2 billion euros) to reach 2% of GDP by 2030, a NATO requirement.
With our regional correspondent, Carlotta Morteo
Highly anticipated, will the defense budget figures meet the needs? The ammunition stocks are empty, the fleets of aging ships, the planes too few. Since 2017, Danish military spending has gradually increased, of course, but it had reached a historically low point, representing only 1.14% of GDP.
The war in Ukraine has spurred the need for Denmark to strengthen these armies, modernize its equipment and establish a plan for the next 10 years. And it is the marking of these 143 billion crowns announced that will now be the subject of intense discussions.
A budget including aid to Ukraine
Two things are clear: Russia is the main threat, and Denmark’s security depends on regional security with three main priorities. It takes for Denmark securing the Baltic Seato better monitor the 2,900 km long navigation corridor which goes from Copenhagen to Greenland, and through which the Russian Northern Fleet passes to reach the Atlantic, and finally to guarantee the safety of the Danish warehouses, very useful to all the forces of NATO.
It should be noted that the Defense budget provides 21 billion crowns of military aid for kyiv, sums which are added to the Special Fund as well as to the various aid packages already announced. Denmark having promised Ukraine to support it as long as necessary, because its victory is seen as an obvious factor of regional stability.
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