Denmark demands increased defence investment amid fears of a Russian attack on NATO
Poulsen highlighted that Russia has significantly heightened its production capabilities in the military equipment sector. "Russia's capacity to produce military equipment has greatly escalated," the Minister declared. He further voiced concerns that Russia may probe Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which asserts the solidarity of NATO member states. "Within 3-5 years, we should not rule out the possibility that Russia will put Article 5 (of the North Atlantic Treaty) and NATO solidarity to the test," he cautioned.
The Danish Defence Minister pointed out that new intelligence data signalling a potential threat from Russia is a fresh element in the situation appraisal. "Such information was not incorporated in NATO's 2023 assessment. It's new knowledge that's now emerging," he stated.
Should NATO brace for an attack?
Poulsen observed that alterations in threat assessments took place after other NATO nations began voicing similar worries in recent weeks. For instance, the German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, announced in January that NATO should ready itself for a possible Russian attack within 5-8 years.
Poulsen underscored that although Denmark is not under direct threat, the North Atlantic Alliance may fall victim to hybrid attacks by Russia. Such attacks could potentially intend to destabilise the situation in one of the member nations.
Pistorius concurred with this stance, adding that Russia might have the intention to and could potentially have developed the military capacity to execute such plans sooner than anticipated. "Russia might have such intention. It could possibly have developed the military potential earlier than hypothesised. There are valid reasons for genuine worry," Pistorius noted.
