On June 1, Danish people voted to join the European Union's defense policy, according to CNN. With a 67% support for the poll, Denmark has given up the option of not joining the EU's defense bloc - officially known as the General Defense and Security Policy (CSDP). This is the last member of the EU to join CSDP.
"When the threat of free knocks on Europe and conflict on our continent once again arises, we cannot remain neutral," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in his speech on the evening of June 1.
Denmark is the only member of the 27-national bloc not included in the General Defense and Security Policy. Scandinavia, a country of nearly 6 million, was exempted from the policy in a 1993 Referral on the Maastricht Treaty, the foundation for a modern EU.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the latest opinion poll on June 1 was in response to Russia's ongoing military campaign in Ukraine.
We have sent a signal to our allies in NATO and Europe. And we have sent a clear signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin. When peace and stability are threatened, we are closer together, Prime Minister Frederiksen said after the results of the popular vote.
Despite Denmark's previous refusal to officially sign the CSDP, the country's military cooperates extensively with other EU countries and Copenhagen is a founding member of the NATO alliance, regularly conducting drills and exercises with partners across Europe. However, the June 1 vote means that Denmark will be able to participate in common European military operations, develop and purchase new types of weapons.
The move to join the treaty is another significant and symbolic change in the defense policies of European countries, which have completely reassessed their security since Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in February.
The historic policy shift comes after unprecedented similar moves by Sweden and Finland in recent weeks, as both have applied to join NATO despite longstanding neutrality traditions.
Throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Copenhagen has side with Kiev, providing a variety of military equipment, including tanks, mines and mortars, as well as US-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles. However, the request to ship 20 Swiss-made armored vehicles has been recently denied by Swiss officials, citing the government's policy of non-alignation in foreign conflicts.
