Denmark Confronts Familiar Foes on Ukraine and Moldova's Push to Join EU

New EU leader must rally member states to tackle politically sensitive issues

- Jonathan Eyal

BRUSSELS - Denmark has taken over the rotating presidency of the European Union, vowing to tackle Europe's top and most politically sensitive topics: strengthening its defences and preparing Ukraine for eventual EU membership.

"The world that secured our freedom and made us prosper can no longer be taken for granted," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told EU leaders at the opening ceremony of her country's presidency, held on July 3 in Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city.

"We have to rearm Europe, and we have to boost our support to Ukraine," Ms Frederiksen added.

The 47-year-old leader, who is her nation's youngest-ever prime minister and has led the northern European state since 2019, has a strong record on such matters.

Ms Frederiksen's government spends more than 3 per cent of the nation's gross domestic product on its military, way ahead of most other European nations.

It also recently decided that Danish women should join men in being liable for compulsory call-ups to national military service.

Ms Frederiksen wasted no time in showing that the determination she displayed at home now also applies to the EU as a whole.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was invited as a special guest at the opening ceremony of the Danish EU presidency, where he was told by Ms Frederiksen that "Ukraine belongs to the European family", and that Denmark is thinking about the "best way forward" to ensure that Ukraine becomes an EU member.

And on July 4, the EU under the Danish presidency also reaffirmed its determination to beef up Ukraine's security by holding a summit with Moldova, another former Soviet republic which borders Ukraine and feels equally threatened by Russian President Vladimir Putin.