Denmark announced 4.8 billion Danish kroner in military aid on Tuesday, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the country for talks on European security and Ukraine’s wartime needs.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen announced the package after consulting Denmark’s parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee. He separately pledged 150 million Danish kroner for Ukraine’s energy sector. The military aid and energy contribution were announced as distinct commitments.
Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus said most of the military package would go to air defense and be funded from underspending in Denmark’s defense budget, Ritzau reported. The agency also reported that Rasmussen linked the energy contribution to winter attacks on civilian infrastructure. The reports did not specify the military package’s equipment or delivery timetable.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s office said the agenda included military support, European security, Ukraine’s immediate air defense needs and protection of its energy sector. Its published program listed a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy, a discussion at the University of Copenhagen and an evening working dinner with Nordic leaders for Tuesday. Zelenskyy said his itinerary also included meetings with Danish lawmakers and defense companies and an audience with King Frederik X.
In a Nov. 6 call with Nordic and Baltic leaders, Zelenskyy identified energy support and air defense as Ukraine’s priorities ahead of winter. Denmark and Ukraine signed a 10-year security cooperation agreement on Feb. 23, 2024, covering military and civilian support.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy’s office said trilateral negotiations had begun in Abu Dhabi and that a meeting with European representatives had taken place. Kyiv had previously targeted Nov. 10 for the Abu Dhabi talks, EconoTimes reported earlier.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to address Denmark’s parliament on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
