Denmark set to join EU defence pact in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine
- About two-thirds of voters supported removing an opt-out on EU military cooperation, the latest seismic shift in European security since Putin’s invasion began
- ‘When there’s a war on our continent we can’t be neutral,’ Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a speech in Copenhagen
Danish voters approved joining the European Union’s defence pact in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, signalling a historic shift in the country that has shunned deeper ties with the bloc.
The proponents of removing an opt-out on EU military cooperation garnered 66.9 per cent of the vote, with 33.1 per cent opposed, public broadcaster DR said late on Wednesday, with almost all votes preliminarily counted.
The decision adds to seismic shifts in the European security set-up after President Vladimir Putin started a full-scale war against Ukraine in February.
It would also mark the first time in almost three decades that the Nordic nation – traditionally sceptical about deeper European integration – has moved substantially closer to the trading bloc.
“When there’s a war on our continent we can’t be neutral,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a speech in Copenhagen. “Maybe this is the biggest ‘yes’ in an EU referendum ever in Denmark.”
A founding member of Nato, the country of 5.8 million people has remained the only one that does not participate in EU’s defence pact out of 21 nations that belong to both EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Denmark’s government called for the referendum in March and Frederiksen has said it is crucial for the country to play a larger role in military operations and cooperation to help bring stability to the continent.