Denmark wants to boost defence spending by 20 per cent

COPENHAGEN – Denmark’s centre-right, minority government wants to boost the NATO country’s defence budget by 20 per cent over the next six years to allow for more troops and hardware, including tanks and artillery, in reaction to Russia’s military buildup in the Baltic Sea region.

Defence Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen says the budget would be increased by 4.8 billion kroner ($760 million) each year until 2023.

The Danish defence budget is currently 21.7 billion kroner ($3.4 billion) or 1.17 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. The proposed boost would still fall short of NATO’s guideline that member nations spend 2 per cent of its GDP on defence.

The proposal, which replaces the current five-year defence budget that ends in December, must be approved by Parliament. No date for a vote has been set.