Danish prince says national security threats demand change in defense policies

COPENHAGEN, Denmark

Danish Prince Joachim on Thursday reiterated that changing geo-strategic scenario in the modern age demands change in Danish defense policies.

The Danish queen’s second son issued the comments in an interview with a local publication, Information and Weekendavisen, at the Danish Embassy in Berlin. In reference to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, he said: “To put it quite frankly: we did not want to enter the rearmament between the years 1990 and 2022. Now we have to.”

Prince Joachim further highlighted the rising security threat against Denmark by saying: “We no longer live in peaceful times and the threat is real and not far away.”

The prince is currently working as the defense attache at the Danish embassy in Paris, and will take over as the defense industry attache from Sept. 1 at the Danish embassy in Washington.

His comments have come in the backdrop of a Danish military general who expressed his serious doubts over Denmark’s military strength in face of its military challenges and NATO targets.

The Danish military has the world’s most advanced weaponry but faces a lack of soldiers, Brig. Gen. Henrik Lyhne, the army’s second-in-command, told local broadcaster TV 2. “This is an emergency call. The situation is extremely critical, especially because we lack soldiers like never before,” he said. “I have been in the armed forces for 40 years, and it has never looked so bad.”

Currently, 20% to 25% of positions in the army are vacant, and “even if more money is injected soon, it will take years to restore a combat-capable army,” he added.

Responding to Lyhne’s comments, Troels Lund Poulsen, the country’s acting defense minister, acknowledged that the situation is “critical.”