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After decades outside, Denmark votes to opt in to EU defense policy
Pablo Guttierez
Europe;Denmark
Social Liberal Party leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen celebrates the referendum result with party members. /Ritzau Scanpix/Claus Bech via Reuters

Social Liberal Party leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen celebrates the referendum result with party members. /Ritzau Scanpix/Claus Bech via Reuters

Final results are in and voters in Denmark have overwhelmingly chosen to drop a decades-old opt-out from the European Union's common defense and security policy. The move is the latest sign of a major shift in Europe's security landscape, prompted by Russian aggression toward Ukraine.

Prior to the vote, Denmark was the only EU member to have formally opted out of the bloc's defense and security policy, having negotiated the deal after Danes initially rejected a landmark treaty deepening EU integration back in the 1990s.

Wednesday's referendum results showed almost 67 percent of Danish voters backed proposals to opt in.

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The move comes on the heels of nearby Finland and Sweden applying to NATO. The two nations have long been non-aligned militarily but say Russian attacks on Ukraine have prompted a rethink of their security set-up.

"We have sent a signal to our allies in NATO, in Europe. And we have sent a clear signal to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen after votes were counted.

EU foreign affairs chief Joseph Borrell welcomed the news. "I want to praise the Danish people and congratulate the Danish people, because they voted and expressed a clear will to join the European Union defense," he told reporters.

Other EU countries also congratulated Copenhagen on the announcement. "Denmark has taken a historic decision to move Europe even closer together," tweeted German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. "The EU's response to Russia's war against Ukraine is a stronger Common Security and Defense Policy. Every step each of us takes makes us stronger in the face of these tectonic shifts."

French President Emmanuel Macron called the decision "excellent news for Europe."

Once Denmark has formally opted in, officials from the Nordic nation will have a seat at the table when their EU counterparts discuss defense topics. Danish forces will also likely take part in EU military training missions such as those in Somalia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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