Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced Denmark's decision to donate its entire stockpile of artillery shells to Ukraine. This announcement was made during the Ukrainian Lunch at the Munich Security Conference on February 17, highlighting Denmark's commitment to supporting Ukraine in its time of need.
Artillery shells, considered vital for the Ukrainian military efforts, are in high demand on the battlefield, where they are utilized extensively. Frederiksen emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating,
"If you ask Ukrainians, they are asking us for ammunition now, artillery now. From the Danish side, we decided to donate our entire artillery.".
The Danish Prime Minister pointed out the availability of ammunition within European stockpiles, suggesting that the issue is not solely about production capacities.
"There is still ammunition in European stocks. This is not a question of only production because we have the weapons, we have ammunition, we have air defense that we don’t have to use ourselves at the moment that we should deliver to Ukraine," she explained.
Frederiksen's remarks also touched upon the broader context of the conflict, particularly Russia's actions that, according to her, aim to destabilize the Western world.
"Russia does not want peace with us. They are destabilizing the Western world from many different angles -- in the Arctic region, the Balkans, and Africa - with disinformation, cyberattacks, hybrid war, and obviously in Ukraine," she noted, shedding light on the multifaceted challenges posed by the current geopolitical tensions.
Furthermore, the announcement comes at a time when Ukraine faces challenges in securing the military support it needs. The European Union has indicated it might only deliver half of the promised 1 million shells by the upcoming March deadline. Additionally, in the United States, the provision of defense assistance, including artillery support, is entangled in domestic political disputes, further complicating efforts to aid Ukraine.
