Washington, Dec. 22, (dpa/GNA) - Following Sweden and Finland, NATO member Denmark has also concluded an agreement on defence cooperation with the United States, the foreign ministries of both countries announced on Thursday.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his US counterpart Antony Blinken signed the agreement in Washington.
The agreement means that the US military will be able to station personnel and military equipment in Denmark, Germany’s northernmost neighbour. The US will have access to the three Danish air bases in Karup, Skrydstrup and Aalborg.
The agreement strengthens not only Danish, but also European and transatlantic security, explained Løkke. It is important to maintain the US commitment in Europe in a time characterized by war, conflict and uncertainty.
Denmark and Europe must take responsibility – and that is exactly what the agreement does, he said.
However, according to the Danish ministry, it will only come into force once it has passed through the respective national implementation processes. This will require laws to be amended on the Danish side. Parliamentary work on that is due to begin next year.
Blinken said that Denmark is playing a leading role in ensuring that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine remains a “strategic failure.”
Denmark and the US had been negotiating the agreement for almost a year and a half. Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which are part of the Danish kingdom, are not included in the agreement.
GNA