Fredriksen calls the current security situation serious and believes that Russia will be a threat to Europe for several years to come.
I do not think that Russia will stop with Ukraine. Russia is testing us. They are testing our willingness to cooperate and our ability to respond, she says at a press conference.
Intended to deter
At the same time, she emphasizes that there is no direct threat to Denmark and that Danish citizens should not go around being worried about a military attack.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (The Moderate Party) emphasizes that the purpose is not for Denmark to go to war, but to deter Russia.
It's about buying weapons that should never be used, he says.
Russia's ambassador to Copenhagen, Vladimir Barbin, says in a written response to the newspaper Berlingske that Denmark is thereby preparing for a direct conflict with Russia.
”From now on, we must assume that Denmark is not only considering the possibility of a direct military confrontation with Russia, but also preparing for such a scenario."
Threatening tone
The ambassador also chooses a threatening tone in the written response:
”No one, anywhere, ever in the whole world, has considered threatening a nuclear power publicly.”
In the message on Wednesday, the Danish government clarified that they have not made a decision on the arms purchases.
According to Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (V) it may involve both missiles and drones.
He mentions American and European arms manufacturers as possible alternatives and emphasizes that the choice is affected by how quickly they can deliver.
We will allocate the resources required to obtain these resources, he says.
