COPENHAGEN — Europe needs to become totally self-reliant in defense within the next three to five years to deter a “very aggressive” Russia that may otherwise attack an EU country, Denmark’s prime minister told POLITICO on Tuesday.
“I’m totally in favor of rearming Europe and I want us to put a very ambitious goal on the table, saying that in three to five years we need to be totally able to defend ourselves in Europe,” Mette Frederiksen said in an interview.
The need to rearm was now the “most important thing” facing the bloc due to a persistent threat from Russia, which could try to attack within a “very short perspective” unless countries act to deter it.
“If you see what they are doing on sabotage, hybrid attacks, using migrants … trying to destabilize our countries with disinformation, fake news and so on, the willingness in Russia to have a fight against Europe is quite big,” she added. “I’m not sure it will change, unfortunately.”
Frederiksen’s comments came as U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Tuesday about a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. They didn’t reach a deal, but said they aim to continue talking.
Frederiksen was skeptical of Putin’s interest in ending the war.
“I’m not very optimistic about Russia because when I look at their behavior, it’s so much against humanity and against Europe and everything we believe in, they have to prove that they want to live a normal neighboring life with us in Europe,” she said.
Asked about Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory under the Danish Crown, Frederiksen said the country’s sovereignty needed to be respected.
“Greenland is a part of the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, full stop,” she said. “I expect that everybody respects sovereignty and our territorial integrity and our borders. It’s not for sale.”
Her comments came just after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called — in Copenhagen — for EU countries to pool their defense purchases by 2030. The EU is looking to set up an €800 billion plan to ramp up the bloc’s defense industry.
Denmark, one of Ukraine’s staunchest backers, supports the idea of buying more weapons from EU countries, Frederiksen said, but still wants to be able to “cooperate with other partners,” such as Norway and the United Kingdom.
“The potential in Europe is very big but some barriers have to be changed and pushed aside because we are not producing enough yet,” she added. “We are still having this peacetime mindset … I don’t think we have a couple of months to take decisions.”
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