NATO member Denmark said on Thursday it has agreed to buy its first long-range precision missiles as the Nordic country seeks to bolster its security to deter Russian aggression in Europe, drawing condemnation from Moscow.
– Danish Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said the new missile systems would boost Denmark’s capabilities and enable strikes “behind enemy lines” if attacked.
– “We‘re in a serious and deteriorating security situation and that is why we are building up the defence and strengthening our combat power,” Bruus told reporters.
– The Russian embassy in Copenhagen, in a written statement, said Denmark’s missile policy aims at confrontation with Moscow and warned of “inevitable disastrous consequences”.
– “Copenhagen is enthralled by the dangerous illusions that purchasing offensive high-precision long-range weapons to pose a military threat to a nuclear power will help strengthen Denmark’s security and defence,” the embassy said.
– Denmark said last year that it intended to buy long-range offensive weapons to counter a Russian military threat to Europe, prompting a harsh rebuke from Moscow.
– Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the time had urged the military to “buy, buy, buy” new weapons after years of budget cuts, a shift prompted by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
– Denmark on Thursday said it has agreed to buy the Anthem missile made by US defence firm Covenant, which is produced in Germany, and Joint Strike Missiles for its F-35 fighter jets, made by Norway’s Kongsberg.
– Bruus declined to say how many missiles Denmark had ordered or how much it would pay.