Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned in an interview with the British business newspaper ‘Financial Times’ that Europe must not be “naive” and must avoid making the same mistakes as in the 1930s. She advocates investing more money in the European defense industry and scaling it up, to keep “imperialist Russia” in check. Because Ukraine is just the first target, it is stated plainly.
“Freedom has a price,” said the Social Democrat. “And we have not paid it for the past thirty years. Europe must admit that it has not invested enough money in its own security.”
The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s was the signal to cut defense and focus on prosperity, social spending and tax cuts. That has to change, Frederiksen believes. The budget for defense and security must increase for a long time to deter a “more aggressive Russia”.
China
“We were too naive,” she says. “In the western part of the world we have been too focused on getting richer. This has also made us more dependent on countries we should not be dependent on. Just think of the gas from Russia and the new technologies from China.”
Denmark is one of eighteen NATO countries that will already spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on military expenditure this year. By comparison, Belgium is the second worst performer in the class – after Luxembourg – and now spends only 1.1 percent of GDP on defense. Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder (PS) hopes to achieve the NATO standard of 2 percent by 2035.
However, Frederiksen wants to spend even more on defense in Denmark and invest in cyber warfare, artificial intelligence (AI) and space. “I don’t think that 2 percent is enough,” she says.
LOOK. NATO leader warns of unpredictable era
“I see a more aggressive Russia in all respects,” she continues, “not just in Ukraine. And I think we have to ask ourselves: is this Russia’s end goal? Or is it just a foretaste of what it wants to achieve in rebuilding a Greater Russia? Russia is currently preparing a war economy. In a few years, Moscow will be able to attack or challenge a NATO country if we do not work on defense and deterrence. And if we do not pull any strings within NATO.”
Frederiksen thus joins a chorus of European leaders and top military officials who have warned in recent months that Russia is rearming itself and is a threat to NATO.
INTERVIEW. Defense Minister Dedonder: “I appeal to the entire population: become a reservist!” (+)
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