Rush to arms
21 February 2025
"Buy, buy, buy." With these words directed at the chief of defence, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen summed up the essence of the government's defence plans on Wednesday. While rearmament has been on the political agenda since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a newly updated threat assessment by the Danish military intelligence (Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste) has pushed the Danish government to accelerate the process drastically.
So, what did the report conclude that led to this decision? It states that if the war against Ukraine ends or comes to a standstill, Russia could be ready to enter a full-scale war against NATO within five years – unless NATO countries rearm simultaneously. They also emphasise that any perception of weakened cohesion in the alliance, particularly doubts over the US' willingness to support its European allies, could factor Russia's readiness to make such a move.
Against this gloomy backdrop, the Danish government has announced a €6.7 billion fund to rearm the Danish military faster by legally bypassing the EU's procurement rules, meaning that Denmark's chief of defence will be able to directly select suppliers instead of having to wait for them to submit offers. This fund comes on top of the ongoing €19 billion military investment running until 2030, now supplemented by an additional €1.3 billion.
These investments will take Denmark from spending an estimated 2.35% of GDP on its military in 2024 to 3% by next year already, bringing it closer to Poland, NATO's top spender, which plans to spend 4.7% this year, followed by Estonia and the US, both at around 3.4%. Germany and most other European countries who're missing their military spending targets – take note.
 | Daniela Lange Andersen According to the Danish threat assessment, support from China, Iran, and North Korea has allowed Russia to free up resources and redirect them towards military reform to match the West in a potential war. While the report underlines that Russia has not decided to start such a war, the Danish government's actions should also be seen in light of a changing world order – one in which Europe must be able to defend itself rather than rely on the US. |
Welcome to The European Correspondent
Europe lacks true European media: in Germany alone, there are more media devoted exclusively to football than news outlets specialising on Europe. The established players mainly focus on Brussels and European institutions. The European Correspondent aims to change that. We cover the whole of Europe and write for a community of citizens who want to look beyond their own national borders. Without European journalism, there is no European civil society.
〉Read our manifesto
〉The stories we would like to write for you
Become a donor!
The European Correspondent is fully funded by its readers. We can only produce the newsletter with your support - and work towards the bigger project: building true European media. Donate now!
With your help, we can create true European journalism. Thank you!
We are non-profit. Every donated € goes directly into The European Correspondent.