Northern nations bolster defence budgets amid rising threats
In the spring, Denmark approved a military spending plan, intending to join the group of countries allocating at least 2 per cent of GDP to this purpose. However, the head of the Danish government now realises that the plan will need revising due to serious threats to Europe's security. She is not alone in this realisation.
The countries of Northern Europe are set to increase their defence spending. In Sweden, defence expenditures will rise to approximately 2.6 per cent of GDP. Estonia has opted for an increase to at least 2.5-3 per cent of GDP, while Lithuania has announced a rise to 3.5 per cent of GDP.
Until recently, only three Baltic states allocated more than 2.5 per cent of their GDP to defence, with the remainder spending slightly more than 2 per cent.
Denmark is now joining this group. Despite having a population of about 6 million, the country plans to scrap a five-year defence spending plan just eight months after its introduction. The Danish Prime Minister acknowledged the need for increased spending due to the escalating security threat in Europe, as reported by the Financial Times.
Denmark revises military spending plans
As the newspaper reminded readers, in April, the Danish government reached a cross-party agreement to increase defence investments by 35 billion Danish kroner (about 2.8 billion pounds) from 2024 to 2028.
This was intended to achieve the NATO target of spending at least 2 per cent of GDP on the military. However, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen believes the plan is outdated and admits the April coalition agreement will need to be amended.
Her comments are a demonstration of how quickly European governments are having to reassess their defence commitments with incoming US president Donald Trump determined to shift more of the burden on to European capitals while bringing a swift end to the war in Ukraine, notes "FT".
The newspaper recalls a discussion within NATO about raising the target to encourage member countries to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence. This topic was discussed at the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) summit held earlier in the week in Tallinn.
JEF was established in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Currently, it includes Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. This group is expected to play a crucial role in deterring and defending the Baltic region before NATO invokes Article 5. On Tuesday, 17 December, Northern European countries within JEF expressed their support for increased defence spending.
Estonia's call: The West must respond with seriousness
On Friday, Kaupo Rosin, head of Estonia's foreign intelligence service, stated that NATO's mission for the next 10-20 years will be to deter and prevent Russian aggression, thus averting any reckless military ventures against the West. Rosin believes that the West must respond seriously and allocate increased resources for defence investments.
- NATO and national military plans must be credible, must be real and must be backed up with real resources, regarding troops present, follow on units, ammunition. If we do our homework properly, then we will be able to deter Russia - stated the Estonian intelligence chief in an interview with Reuters.
