Denmark has reversed a decade of defense spending cuts. A small country of six million people, Denmark has recently pledged to spend much more on its military as it confronts what it sees as threats from Russia and waning support from the US.

Copenhagen

Denmark is undertaking a substantial upgrade of its military capabilities, prompted by heightened Russian military activity in the Baltic region. The Danish government has committed to a 10-year defence plan worth nearly 20 billion euros, with additional multi-billion-euro investments announced for the current year, focusing on air defence and long-range missile systems.

Most of the new defence spending will be directed towards European-sourced systems, reflecting a shift away from reliance on the United States. This move comes amid concerns over the US's commitment to NATO and tensions regarding Greenland, a Danish territory. Danish officials state that these investments are intended to strengthen deterrence and prevent conflict with Russia.

Denmark increases military spending as Russia grows bolder

Danish troops in the Arctic, off the coast of Greenland. Leading military exercises involving hundreds of NATO troops, part of a serious military upgrade. Denmark is a small country by any measure, with a population of about 6 million and some 20,000 active-duty military personnel, divided among the army, navy and air force. The army has just 8,000 soldiers, some of whom are stationed in Iraq or the United Kingdom in support of Ukraine. Its location makes it vulnerable, situated north of Germany on the Baltic Sea. For years, Russia has tested Western defences over the Baltic with fighter planes and now increasingly with drones. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Denmark has announced a massive increase in its military spending, with an initial 10-year plan worth nearly 20 billion euros. In February, it announced another multi-billion-euro bump for this year alone, and in September announced it was investing billions more in air defence and long-range missiles, a category of weapons long considered unnecessary for the country. When we make these decisions, they are historic investments in Danish defence. The purpose is to avoid going to war. Everything we do is about building a credible deterrent so that Russia does not advance. Although Denmark hasn't said exactly what it's buying, the bulk of the new spending will go to European-sourced systems, aligning Denmark towards Europe and away from dependence on the US, which has raised tensions with overtures towards acquiring Greenland, a Danish territory. US President Donald Trump has also questioned the need to support NATO, leaving Denmark stuck between an increasingly undependable traditional ally and an aggressive Russia.

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