Denmark increases defense spending in view of Russian long-term war

MILAN — Denmark will raise its defense spending by an additional $5.1 billion over the next four years in order to speed up investments in military capabilities, as the government has warned that Russia is readying for a long-term war.

With the war in Ukraine reaching its 800th day, and the battle showing little sign of resolution in the foreseeable future, European countries are doubling down on efforts to inject more funds into their military posture.

The Danish government announced this week that it would again increase the country’s defense expenditure from 2024-2028. Last year, the Scandinavian country had already committed to investing $21 billion in defense over the next decade.

Denmark’s defense spending for 2023 was $8.1 billion, a 39% increase over the previous year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“The security situation in Europe has worsened since we decided on the Danish Defense Agreement last summer. Russia is preparing for a long-term war and could pose a potential threat to NATO allies within a few years,” the Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said .

The additional funds will go to reinforcing the Army’s 1st heavy brigade, which is Denmark’s fore package assigned to the NATO Response Force, acquiring more land-based air defense systems and bolstering the Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

The unit in question will have to be deployable on short notice, based on NATO standards, and it receive new tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

Denmark borders the Baltic and North seas along its 8,750 kilometers of shoreline, which could be vulnerable in the event of NATO-Russia tensions in the region.

Following Copenhagen’s submarine divestiture in 2004, lawmakers have been going back and forth about the possibility of acquiring and even leasing new undersea platforms.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——丹麦政府警告称，俄罗斯正在为一场长期战争做准备，因此丹麦将在未来四年内增加 51 亿美元的国防开支，以加快对军事能力的投资。

乌克兰战争已持续 800 天，而且在可预见的未来，这场战争几乎没有结束的迹象，欧洲各国正在加倍努力，向其军事态势注入更多资金。

丹麦政府本周宣布，将在2024年至2028年期间再次增加该国的国防开支。去年，这个北欧国家已经承诺在未来十年内投资210亿美元用于国防。

根据斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所的数据，丹麦 2023 年的国防开支为 81 亿美元，比上一年增长了 39%。

丹麦国防大臣特罗尔斯·伦德·波尔森表示：“自去年夏天我们决定签署丹麦防务协议以来，欧洲的安全形势已经恶化。俄罗斯正在为一场长期战争做准备，并可能在几年内对北约盟国构成潜在威胁。”

额外的资金将用于加强丹麦陆军第1重型旅（丹麦派往北约快速反应部队的前线部队）、购置更多陆基防空系统以及增强海军的反潜作战能力。

根据北约标准，该部队必须具备随时部署的能力，并且将获得新的坦克和步兵战车。

丹麦拥有 8750 公里的海岸线，濒临波罗的海和北海，一旦北约与俄罗斯在该地区发生紧张局势，丹麦的海岸线可能会变得脆弱。

继哥本哈根于 2004 年剥离潜艇业务后，立法者们一直在反复讨论是否要收购甚至租赁新的海底平台。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。