Background on Mette Frederiksen and Her Relevance
Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, has been in office since June 2019. As the leader of the Social Democrats party, she has been at the forefront of Danish politics. Her recent claims about hybrid attacks against Denmark have brought international attention to the country’s security concerns.
Drones Over Denmark’s Largest Military Base
On Friday, unknown drones were spotted over Denmark’s largest military base, Karup, according to a police statement on Saturday. This incident is part of a series of similar occurrences that the government has labeled as “hybrid attacks.”
- The drones were sighted late Friday evening and remained for several hours.
- The base shares runways with the Midtjylland airport, which briefly closed, though no flights were affected as there were no commercial flights scheduled.
- The police and the military are collaborating on the investigation, but the origin of the drones remains unclear.
Mette Frederiksen’s Statement and Russia’s Response
In a video message on Thursday, Prime Minister Frederiksen stated that Denmark had become a “victim of hybrid attacks,” directly implicating Russia as the threat to European security.
Tweet from Mette Frederiksen
“Hay un país que representa una amenaza para la seguridad de Europa, y ese país es Rusia.”
Moscow firmly denied any involvement in the Danish incidents, calling them “staged provocation” via social media posts from their Copenhagen embassy.
Impact on Danish Security and EU Cooperation
Danish Minister of Justice, Peter Hummelgaard, earlier in the week estimated that these attacks aimed to “instill fear, create divisions, and frighten us.”
- Denmark recently announced its intention to purchase long-range precision weapons for the first time, citing Russia as a future security threat.
- Copenhagen also plans to acquire new capabilities for detecting and neutralizing drones.
On Friday, defense ministers from a dozen EU countries agreed that creating an “anti-drone barrier” should be a priority. European Commissioner for Defense, Andrius Kubilius, emphasized the need to act swiftly and learn from Ukraine’s experiences in building this anti-drone barrier.
Upcoming European Summit in Copenhagen
Copenhagen will host a European summit on Wednesday and Thursday, gathering heads of government. Following drone incidents, Denmark accepted Sweden’s offer to provide anti-drone technology to ensure the summit’s smooth progress.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Mette Frederiksen? Mette Frederiksen is the Prime Minister of Denmark, in office since June 2019.
- What are hybrid attacks? Hybrid attacks refer to non-traditional forms of warfare that blend conventional and unconventional tactics, often involving cyberattacks, disinformation, and the use of proxies.
- Why is Russia implicated? Prime Minister Frederiksen directly pointed to Russia as the security threat to Europe, though Moscow denies any involvement in the Danish incidents.
- What is Denmark’s response to drone threats? Denmark plans to acquire long-range precision weapons and new drone detection and neutralization capabilities.
- What is the EU’s stance on anti-drone technology? EU defense ministers prioritize the creation of an “anti-drone barrier” to counter such threats, learning from experiences like those in Ukraine.
