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Occupied Palestine: Five members of the IOF wounded in clashes that took place in Rafah on Wednesday
Israeli media outlet: Netanyahu and Katz are expected to conduct a security assessment soon, and a wave of attacks in Gaza is anticipated later
Israeli media outlet: Gunmen emerged from a tunnel in Rafah and attacked forces in the area with gunfire and anti-tank missiles
Local sources from Damascus countryside: An Israeli occupation drone targeted the road connecting the town of Beit Jinn and Tell Bat al-Warda with 3 airstrikes, without any reported casualties
Al Mayadeen's Beirut Bureau chief: Addition of non-military envoy was agreed upon to pursue non-technical matters.
Al Mayadeen's Beirut Bureau Chief: Lebanese Presidency's statement affirms Lebanon's readiness to attend talks in an effective capacity.
Lebanese Presidency: President has assigned former Ambassador Simon Karam to head military technical committee in talks.
Israeli occupation forces carry out an arrest campaign during a raid on Surif, north of Al-Khalil in the southern occupied West Bank.
Syrian Foreign Ministry: Damascus expresses its gratitude to the countries that voted in the UN General Assembly in favor of ending the Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan.
Ushakov: Russia and the United States agreed not to disclose the substance of the Putin–Witkoff talks.

Denmark may join EU 'defense' policy to fight against Russia

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 7 Mar 2022 00:02
3 Min Read

Denmark, with a 'social democrat' leader, seems to be joining Sweden and Finland in their "defense" policy switch-ups.

  • x
  • Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's PM
    Mette Frederiksen, Denmark's PM

On Sunday, the Prime Minister of Denmark called on citizens to invalidate its opt-out from the EU defense policy in a referendum which will be held on June 1, which comes after Russia's military operation in Ukraine. 

"Historic times call for historic decisions," Mette Frederiksen told a news conference, where she said that the government clearly calls on Danes to "lift the opt-out on defense." 

Read more: Denmark to bolster NATO numbers despite admitting no threat by Russia

Copenhagen's opt-out, which is one of four special arrangements in the EU that has been negotiated by Denmark, has seen the country abstain from military operations, in addition to providing support and supplies to wars where the EU is concerned. 

"For me, as prime minister, this is a values-based decision," Frederiksen said.

The referendum comes as part of an agreement reached on Sunday, which is supported by the majority of the Danish parliamentary members. 

This referendum could potentially constitute a drastic turnaround in Denmark's defense policy which hasn't wavered for 30 years, coming at a time when other European nations, including Sweden, have also been switching up their policies to pitch into NATO's war against Russia in Ukraine.

Sweden and Finland, though not NATO members, have seen public support in joining the military alliance against Russia, seeing closer collaboration with NATO in military action. 

Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, has also changed Germany's policy on defense, announcing a hefty brow-raising €100 billion defense while also sending weapons to Ukraine, recently sending over 2,700 anti-aircraft missiles.

This comes although Scholz stated that Germany would not be part of a military confrontation in Ukraine.

In addition, Frederiksen vowed to increase Denmark's defense spending by €941 million over the next 2 years, calling it the "largest investment" in Denmark's recent history. 

In line with NATO requirements, Copenhagen plans to increase spending to 2% of the Gross Domestic Product, by 2033, also stressing that Denmark needs to be independent of Russian gas ASAP.

Read more: Russian gas will not be replaced, EU made huge mistake - Former US colonel

"We will also work towards this in the rest of Europe," Frederiksen said, referring to the gas dependency.

It is worth mentioning that in December 2015, the Danish population voted against strengthening their cooperation with the European Union on policy and security matters over fears of losing their sovereignty over immigration. 

  • Nato
  • Russia
  • Denmark
  • Mette Frederiksen
  • Nato Alliance
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Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

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