Source: Jyllands

Denmark must provide one or more frigates for NATO’s missile defense shield.

This was stated by Foreign Minister Lidegaard (R) after a closed meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on Thursday afternoon.

“We have agreed to contribute to NATO’s missile defense shield,” he says, after the five hours long meeting, adding:

“We are now entering a feasibility study with a number of other countries in order to provide that one or more of our frigates will be equipped with radar and thus can be included in the defense shield,” he says.

PROTECTION AGAINST ROGUE

Defense Minister Nikolai Wammen (S) emphasizes that the decision to equip Danish frigates with advanced radar equipment is taken to protect the Danes from organizations that wish us harm. Decide Nobody has nothing to do with the current conflict in Ukraine, he maintains.

This despite the fact that NATO’s missile defense system will be primarily located in Eastern European cities.

“The fact that Denmark joins the missile defense radar capability on one or more of our frigates is not an action that is directed against Russia, but to protect us from rogue states, terrorist organizations and others who will have the capacity to fire missiles off from Europe and America, “he says.

At the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, which is also the Danish contribution to the current crisis situation in northern Iraq was discussed, there was broad acknowledgment that Denmark integrate into NATO’s missile defense shield. Only various socialist voted against.

The government raises thus NATO summit in early September with the news that Denmark joins the missile shield.

But according to SF’s defense and foreign affairs spokesman Holger K. Nielsen, the system firstly too expensive, and secondly, it will just force Russia to rearm accordingly, which nobody wants. Moreover, it is unclear what threat, the shield must fend believe Nielsen:

“Is it the terrorists? Terrorists firing missiles do not over Europe – they commit terrorist attacks,” he says.

CONSERVATIVE PROPOSALS

In addition to radar systems on land works missile shield by warships – typically frigates and destroyers – with powerful radar detects enemy missiles as they can shoot down within the year to do harm.

“It’s a smart way to protect themselves without the need to install missiles across Europe,” says Conservative spokesman, Lene Espersen, who has long followed the debate on missile shield.

In March, she suggested on the basis of the crisis on the Crimean peninsula to allow Denmark to be part of the missile shield, but at that time there was no support to retrieve from the government.

According to Lene Espersen Russian opposition to missile defense had great influence on Denmark not long since have joined. The fear of harming relations with Moscow have simply been too great, she says:

“Now the government has changed its mind, and I am glad,” said former Secretary of State:

“It is clear that it is not a decision that Russia will be happy. But with the acquisition of the Crimean peninsula and the situation in Ukraine, the Russians have behaved in such a way that we do not owe them to behave in any particular way longer , “says Lene Espersen.

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