21 January 2026 19:40 UTC · UK Government · GOV.UK Speech · Source · Email X Link

UK and Denmark pledge stronger defence cooperation

Key points

Stepping up European defence cooperation
Supporting Ukraine and countering Russian activity

TL;DR

States Denmark is a vital and long-standing ally of the UK.
States Denmark and the UK founded NATO and share values and threats.
States Denmark and the UK will step up defence cooperation through JEF Lion exercises across the Baltic, the North Atlantic, and the Arctic.
States the UK and Denmark are accelerating air defence support for Ukraine and providing military aid.
States they aim to boost defence industrial cooperation to drive economic growth and jobs.

Original text

Thank you for your welcome. Thank you for your team for hosting us. Denmark is a vital and long-standing ally of the UK. Together we’ve founded NATO. We share the same values. We face the same threats. In just the last 12 months, we’ve seen drone incursions in Europe. We’ve seen Russian spy ships in our waters. And we’ve seen cyber-attacks against our critical national infrastructure. And this new era of threat demands a new era for defence, and that new era for defence is hard power, it’s strong alliances, and it is sure diplomacy. And as JEF partners and as NATO allies, Denmark and the UK are stepping up together on European security. Our nation’s shared history, as you say, runs deep. And earlier this week, our Prime Minister reinforced the UK’s firm position on Greenland. As UK Defence Secretary, I know the close relationship and the deep respect that our two militaries have for one another. In Afghanistan, our forces trained together, they fought together, and on some occasions, they died together, making the ultimate sacrifice. In Denmark last year, I deployed a counter-drone unit to help protect Copenhagen Airport and your international conference. In a world where demands on defence are rising, our partnership matters more than ever. So later this year, JEF’s Lion exercises military exercises that will take place across the Baltic, the North Atlantic, and the Arctic will see hundreds of troops alongside ships, planes, drones deployed across the high north, deployed to deter threats and to reassure allies. We have, and we are, and we will further step up together for European security. And in these current uncertainties, we must never forget who our adversaries are and who our allies remain. It’s Russian attacks that are escalating in Ukraine. It’s Russian activity expanding in the High North with new bases, and it’s Russian recklessness that is testing NATO’s response and resolve. And so today we’ve spoken about together, how we’re taking a stand against Russia’s aggression, how we’re accelerating air defence support for Ukraine, how we’re firming up military plans for a post-peace deal settlement, and how we’re tackling the Russian shallow fleet. Because a secure Europe requires a strong Ukraine, and I’m proud that our two nations are amongst the foremost supporters of Ukraine, and providing military aid. And together we’re clear about our mission to support Ukraine in the fight today and to prepare for the peace tomorrow. And finally, in this new era for defence, we’re spending more, but we also want to build more. We want to innovate more together. And we have world-leading defence industries in our two nations. So today we have indeed discussed how much more there is the potential to boost that cooperation between our industries and the potential to drive defence in both our nations as an engine for economic growth and jobs for the future. So Troels, our partnership is strong, it will grow stronger in the coming months and I look forward to working on strengthening that.

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NATO
Jef