Bornholm has been an island of peace for many years, and even during the Cold War, the island was not a place for military preparations, which contributed to the stability in the Baltic Sea region. Today, however, the island is used by Denmark to create threats to Russia's security, including the Kaliningrad region, says Ambassador Vladimir Barbin according to the Russian state news agency Tass.
He does not specify further how Bornholm constitutes a threat.
Direct confrontation?
The interview was conducted after the Danish government announced on Wednesday that it will invest in precision weapons with long range for the first time, something Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) described as "a paradigm shift".
But Vladimir Barbin called the decision "sheer madness". In a written comment to the newspaper Berlingske, he claimed that Denmark is preparing for a direct military confrontation with Russia.
"No one, anywhere, ever in the whole world, has considered threatening a nuclear power publicly. These statements will undoubtedly be taken into account", wrote the ambassador.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (The Moderate Party) responded, emphasizing that the purpose is not to go to war but to deter Russia. The ambassador's statements were dismissed as propaganda intended to scare the Danes.
Got regiment
Bornholm, approximately three miles southeast of the coast of Skåne, has been described as Denmark's outpost to the east. In the spring, Copenhagen announced that the island will get its own regiment as part of the country's buildup. This also met with sharp criticism from the Russian ambassador.
