Ahmet Gençtürk
22 February 2024•Update: 22 February 2024
ATHENS
Denmark said Thursday that it inked a security agreement with Ukraine.
“This is the most serious security policy situation since the end of the Cold War,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at a news conference alongside Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen in the northern town of Marienborg, according to public broadcaster DR TV. “And we, from the Danish government's side, cannot emphasize enough how important it is that Ukraine receives the military capabilities that they need.”
He said the agreement would help Ukraine's ability to defend the country against Russia and deter future Russian attacks.
“If we don't stand together, Ukraine won't stand, and potentially Europe won't either,” he said.
Moreover, Frederiksen announced that the country would donate 1.7 billion Danish krone ($228 million) to Ukraine on its 15th trench of military support to the country facing Russian aggression.
The fund will be used for air defense systems and 15,000 artillery shells, he said.
“Russia must not be allowed to determine Europe's borders by force. It must be freedom and democracy that wins in the end,” added Frederiksen.
Poulsen said: “We must stand on the right side of history.”
“It is not just human life that is at stake, it is also fundamentally our freedom and democracy that is under serious pressure,” she added.
Apart from support through EU mechanisms, Denmark’s support to Ukraine has exceeded 34.5 billion Danish krone.
The support includes 407 Stinger short-range air-defense missiles, mine clearance equipment, more than 100 Leopard 1 tanks, 14 Leopard 2 tanks, 54 M113 armored personnel carriers, artillery shells, among other things.
Denmark also initiated training of Ukrainian pilots and support personnel on F-16 combat aircraft.
Earlier Thursday, Italy announced it would soon finalize a security agreement with Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that his country is preparing for new security agreements with its partners, as the conflict with Russia is about to enter its third year.
Since the start of 2024, Ukraine has signed 10-year security agreements with the UK, France and Germany to deepen defense cooperation and support for the country.
The agreements follow a G7 declaration at a NATO summit last July that it is launching negotiations with Kyiv to formalize its "enduring support" for Ukraine through "bilateral security commitments and arrangement.”
