EIR Questions Leading Danish Ministers about Ukraine-Russia on National TV

COPENHAGEN, Jan. 31, 2022 (EIRNS)—Today, two days after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that she would consider sending weapons to Ukraine, a press conference was called with the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod and Defense Minister Trine Bramsen, to launch the government’s new Foreign and Defense Policy Strategy. EIR was able to ask a question. The first part of the press conference was transmitted live on Danish national TV2, and the second part, starting with EIR’s question, was transmitted on TV2’s national subscription channel TV2 Play.

Denmark is in the midst of deciding whether to go along with the British war escalation policy, or to reject it, as more and more European nations are doing. Two days ago, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated to Jyllands-Posten,

“I would not rule out [sending military hardware to Ukraine] and I have no principled opposition to our doing so. The situation around Ukraine now poses a serious threat to Europe, and there is a real risk of armed conflict on European soil. Should the situation in Ukraine escalate further, Russia would also face sanctions of ‘an unprecedented dimension.’ ”

This was also the message at the press conference.

Before EIR’s question, the ministers were asked if Denmark would send weapons and even troops to Ukraine. So far the Ukrainian Defense Minister has asked for Danish support to deal with cyber attacks.

Here is the interchange with EIR reporter Michelle Rasmussen.

EIR: The day before yesterday, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Reznikov said that the situation along the border with Russia is no different from what it was a year ago. There are no significant actions or phenomena. And President Zelenskyy said the U.S. should stop saying that war is imminent—that they should not create panic.

If Denmark sends weapons to Ukraine, a policy led by Great Britain right now, won’t that only escalate the crisis, as well as even harder sanctions, which will also hit Europe, and U.S. war games, like Global Lightning 22, about how to continue a nuclear war after a first strike? Wouldn’t it be better to have serious negotiations with Russia about a possible NATO membership for Ukraine, offensive weapons on the border, and about a new security architecture, which would include Russia, as we should have done in 1991?

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen: That we should have given Russia influence on the European infrastructure in 1991?

EIR: That after the breakup of the Soviet Union, it was envisioned—.

Frederiksen: It is quite clear that it is only Europe and Europeans who decide what our infrastructure should look like.

Of course we want to have a dialogue with Russia. We have. We have that in the NATO track. We have that between Europe and Russia. And we want to have that going forward. Throughout this, we have appealed to Russia to opt for a diplomatic solution, and are going down the path of dialogue. What we are saying, at the same time, is that if Russia chooses to attack Ukraine, then of course we will respond.

I must repeat. How Europeans choose to act is a matter for Europe, not for anyone else.