Government press conference a short while ago: New security strategy, the war on terror, and Denmark's role in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called a press conference that began at 4 pm on Monday and lasted for about 47 minutes. Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod and Defense Minister Trine Bramsen participated in the conference, during which a new strategy for Denmark’s foreign and security policy was presented. 

During the press conference, the Foreign Minister stated that the new strategy is based on a political compass with five key words: values, security, climate, migration, and economic diplomacy. He added that the new foreign and security policy strategy revolves around protecting the Danish way of life: “The struggle for values has returned to foreign and security policy. We stand by our values. This is one of the reasons we are fighting terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan… It will be difficult for Denmark because the threat picture is constantly changing, and disinformation has become the new normal.”.

Regarding foreign policy, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of NATO for Denmark's security during the press conference, stating, "It is clear that Denmark cannot do this alone. Cooperation with NATO, in particular, is crucial. NATO and the United States are guarantors of Denmark's security." She added, "The most important message today is that Denmark must be at the heart of NATO. We must be an active and credible ally that intervenes when necessary." She also announced that the government would convene parliamentary parties to negotiate a new European policy agreement. 

As expected, the press conference also addressed the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Mette Frederiksen stated that Russia would face severe sanctions if Russian soldiers crossed the border into Ukraine. When asked whether Denmark was prepared to send Danish troops to Ukraine, the Prime Minister replied that sanctions, not soldiers, would be used. She was also asked about the possibility of sending military equipment to Ukraine, to which she responded affirmatively.

It is worth noting that Denmark is not obligated to send Danish soldiers to Ukraine because the latter is not a member of NATO, which requires member countries to support each other in case of need. However, Ukraine is a bordering country with countries in Eastern Europe that are members of NATO, which obliges the party to protect member states from any security or military threat.