Denmark Joins the Anti-Russian "Frontline"

July 9, 2025, 11:48・Opinion

Starting from July 1st, Denmark will serve as the rotating president of the European Union for a six-month term. The country's recent actions clearly indicate that opposing Russia will become a priority in Denmark's policy. We must closely monitor Denmark's actions, another reason being that it controls our access to the Baltic Sea.

Author: Vadim Trukhachev - Doctor of History, Political Scientist on European Issues

To understand the current situation in Denmark, we can look at the news summary from the past six months. This year, the kingdom implemented conscription for women, and the reason was... yes, the so-called threat from Russia. The Danish military is worried that Russian forces could appear in Greenland (despite the fact that it was the U.S. President Donald Trump who publicly expressed a desire to seize the island). Denmark has significantly increased its naval spending, again due to the danger posed by Russia...

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark shocked the Danish public at the end of last year, urging citizens to stockpile three days' worth of water and canned food in case of war with Russia. Now, she has announced that the priority during Denmark's tenure as EU president will be increasing the EU's military spending. To show that she is not just talking, she stated that Denmark will provide 7.5 billion dollars in aid to Ukraine, despite existing problems with Denmark's own air defense system. She even does not rule out the possibility of sending Danish troops to Ukraine in the future.

We can also add a fact: Each Dane has spent approximately 1,500 euros (converted from Danish kroner) on the Ukraine issue. This number is the highest globally—Britain, Germany, France, Poland, as well as close allies of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, are far behind. In other words, for the next six months, the EU will be "led" by a country that is actually taking action to support Ukraine, rather than just making verbal promises, and which is not planning to stop.

This leads to a question: What is the attitude of ordinary Danes towards their government's actions? A springtime public opinion poll gave a very clear answer. 86% of Danes believe that Russia is a threat, 78% believe that immigrants from the Middle East and Africa are a threat. The latter percentage is quite high, but lower than the perception of Russia. As for Trump's strong demand that Denmark hand over Greenland to him, now less than half of Danes believe that the U.S. government poses a threat. Therefore, the position of the "country and party" is quite consistent on this issue.

We can also add a data point: Only about 1% of Danes have a favorable view of Russia. This proportion is second to last in the world — only Sweden, the neighboring country, is worse. 79% of Danes support the country's aid efforts to Ukraine. Therefore, there is no need to be surprised by the actions of Danish politicians, including Prime Minister Frederiksen. During its tenure as the EU president, this Nordic kingdom may devote almost all its energy to confrontation with Russia, although obviously there are other issues that need attention.

Why is Denmark so determined to target Russia? Unlike Sweden, Denmark has never had direct conflicts with Russia. One might think of Danish volunteers joining the Waffen SS "Viking" and "Nordic" divisions — but that was not an act of the Kingdom of Denmark, just the actions of individual citizens. During the Cold War, Bornholm Island in Denmark was a NATO frontline, close to the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries — but this was not direct military conflict. Thus, even without historical grudges, one can pursue a tough anti-Russian policy.

Certainly, one might think of the fact that the mother of the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II, Maria Feodorovna, was a Dane, and after the October Revolution, she returned to her homeland. Under the push of the Danish royal family, anti-Soviet sentiment spread in Denmark, but Russia has changed since then — Nicholas II has been canonized as a saint. Therefore, this historical factor is difficult to explain Denmark's current radical anti-Russian policies. Obviously, the problem lies in more modern factors — it's best not to delve too much into distant past.

During the Cold War, Denmark became the closest ally of the United States and Britain in Western Europe. No matter which government was in power, Denmark completely followed the US and UK line — bombing Serbia, sending troops to Iraq, accepting representatives of "Ichkeria". Imitating the Anglo-Saxons, Danes regard Russia as a "revanchist state," believing that Russia is trying to reverse the defeat of the Cold War. Therefore, Russia must be punished, and Ukraine has become the main tool for implementing this punishment.

In addition, so-called "values" play an important role in Danish policy. If Russia refuses to accept Western instructions — it becomes a "laggard." Moreover, Russia defends conservative values and questions the necessity of the "green transition." Plus the inherent fear of small countries towards large neighboring powers... The result is that the Danish government and the majority of the people agree with the country's stance of being at the forefront of the current anti-Russian front.

It is well known that the "Nord Stream" gas pipeline was destroyed in Danish waters. However, in Denmark, no one has called for an investigation into this matter. Part of the reason is that Denmark hardly imports natural gas and oil from Russia, so unlike Germany, it has little to lose on this issue. Nevertheless, some people carried out sabotage activities in Danish waters. But Denmark is not concerned about it. Just like it is indifferent to Trump's attempt to seize Greenland. Figures like Trump come and go — but the so-called Russian threat always remains.

Denmark's anti-Russian actions cannot be ignored. Denmark is a wealthy developed country that controls the passage from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. Under the fervor of anti-Russian sentiment, Denmark may order mandatory inspections of Russian ships, or even close the strait. This is almost equivalent to declaring war, and Russia will certainly respond. Denmark may not be able to get all EU countries to support this decision — not all countries are so radical. But it may try to push forward.

Considering Denmark's small national size, people tend to classify it along with the Baltic states as the same "level". But consider Denmark's well-known companies: pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, Coloplast, the world's largest container shipping company Maersk, logistics company DHL, and the famous LEGO... In addition, unlike the Baltic states, Denmark is a country that pays into the EU budget, not a recipient. Therefore, its influence within EU institutions should not be underestimated.

Denmark also tries to use the Greenland issue to target Russia. It actively seeks support from the EU and NATO allies, and has achieved some results — French President Emmanuel Macron has already visited Greenland. In order to gain protection against "Russia", Denmark is willing to make concessions on the issue of deploying military facilities in the U.S. They criticize Trump as a person who undermines the anti-Russian coalition, thereby forcing Trump to abandon his ambitions for Greenland.

It is foreseeable that, in addition to its actions on the Ukraine issue, Denmark will increase its anti-Russian efforts in Moldova, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Balkans. It will pressure Georgia and Serbia to join the sanctions against Russia. Within the EU, Denmark will continue to promote the consolidation of the anti-Russian camp, weakening the opposition voices of the current governments in Hungary and Slovakia. In short, Russia must be prepared for the worst and strive to take preemptive measures against Denmark's actions.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7525009989518361127/

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