Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced at a press conference Monday evening that Denmark has joined a strategic nuclear cooperation agreement with France, clarifying that the agreement does not include the deployment of French nuclear weapons on Danish soil and does not change Copenhagen's commitments within NATO.
The conference was held in the Mirror Hall at the Prime Minister's headquarters.
The government held the press conference in the Mirror Room at the Prime Minister's Office, with the participation of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
The Prime Minister stated that Denmark had accepted a French invitation to strengthen cooperation in the field of nuclear deterrence, noting that the goal was to strengthen European deterrence capabilities in light of current security changes.
Details of the French invitation and Paris' nuclear capabilities
Mette Frederiksen explained that three countries within NATO possess nuclear deterrent capabilities: the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. She added that French President Emmanuel Macron had invited Denmark and several other countries to engage in closer cooperation in this area to strengthen European deterrence, describing the move as necessary in the current circumstances.
She noted that France possesses approximately 290 nuclear warheads that can be launched from submarines and aircraft.
French nuclear weapons will not be deployed in Denmark.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated that the agreement would not change Danish nuclear policy, explaining that no French nuclear weapons would be deployed on Danish soil.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen also explained that European cooperation will not replace nuclear cooperation within NATO, but will complement it.
The scope of the agreement is limited to Denmark, excluding Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
The Prime Minister also stated that the strategic cooperation with France concerns only Denmark and does not include other parts of the kingdom, meaning that Greenland and the Faroe Islands are not part of the agreement.
Nature of cooperation: joint training exercises and tasks
Mette Frederiksen explained that the cooperation focuses on joint training and exercises. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen clarified that the next phase will involve detailing the terms of the agreement, adding that the cooperation could include Danish staff officers participating in French exercises within the French nuclear program, as well as conducting joint training missions within France.
He explained that the goal is to promote understanding of nuclear deterrence as the most powerful means of preventing a country from being attacked.
Potential involvement of F-35 aircraft in NATO's nuclear deterrence
Troels Lund Poulsen stated that Denmark does not possess capabilities that fall within the French nuclear readiness framework, but that the possibility of placing Danish F-35 aircraft in NATO's nuclear deterrence service, as is the case in other countries, is being explored.
He added that Danish F-35 aircraft would be capable, if the opportunity arose in the future, of carrying nuclear weapons.
Risk assessment and potential Russian reactions
In response to questions about the security implications, the defense minister explained that the Danish Defense Intelligence Service had assessed that the agreement did not increase the risk of the kingdom being subjected to a Russian military attack.
But he stated that the decision could provoke criticism and political and diplomatic reactions from Russia, including the possibility of threats, such as brandishing nuclear weapons at Denmark, without necessarily expecting their actual use.
Background: Statements in Munich and Ukraine
The announcement came after previous statements made by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during the Munich Security Conference last February, in which she stated that Europe must be able to defend itself, and considered that the issue was also related to European identity.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated during a visit to Ukraine on February 25 that it was possible to discuss joint financing or even the storage of nuclear weapons on Danish soil, explaining at the time that he was not calling for this immediately, but was open to discussing the entire framework of Danish nuclear policy in terms of financing and capabilities in light of the current situation.
Denmark has thus taken a new step in its security policy, while continuing its commitment not to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory and its partnership within NATO, in addition to expanding the scope of European cooperation in the field of nuclear deterrence.
