Denmark to send troops to Ukraine, but not for peacekeeping mission
Photo: Denmark to send soldiers to Ukraine for training (Getty Images)
Denmark is planning to send its military personnel to Ukraine. However, this will not be a peacekeeping operation - the Danish soldiers will arrive for training purposes, the Commander of the Danish Army, Major General Peter Boysen, says in an interview with TV 2.
According to Boysen, several teams of Danish military personnel are scheduled to be sent to Ukraine. The soldiers will arrive unarmed and will represent various branches of the armed forces.
The Commander of the Danish Army is particularly interested in gaining experience in the use of drones in warfare.
"For 42 years of my service in the Armed Forces, I have never seen things evolve so quickly," said the Major General, who observed training sessions of the reconnaissance regiment with new strike drones, similar to those used on the front lines in Ukraine.
In recent months, Boysen has visited Ukraine twice. Now he wants to send Danish soldiers to Ukraine for training.
The number of troops to be sent and the final course programs have not yet been determined. According to the Commander, it is planned that both instructors and soldiers will undergo courses lasting from one to two weeks, which will likely begin this summer.
"We are sending several teams to see firsthand what experience the Ukrainians have gained. So go there and get that experience," Boysen noted.
Major General added that the soldiers are not going to take part in combat operations, but solely to gain experience at the invitation of the Commander of the Ukrainian Army. The Danish troops will be stationed far from the front line, closer to a training center in western Ukraine.
"They are to undergo training far from the front line, for example, in Lviv, in western Ukraine. And if a missile attack happens, the Ukrainians have really good warning systems and shelters. I myself spent time in one of them in Kyiv," the Commander emphasized.
Russia's reaction
The Russian Embassy in Copenhagen expressed outrage over Denmark's plans to send soldiers for training in Ukraine.
"The deployment of Danish military personnel to Ukraine, including for the purpose of studying combat experience, drags Denmark deeper and deeper into the conflict in Ukraine and provokes its further uncontrolled escalation," reads a written statement from Ambassador Vladimir Barbin.
Peacekeeping contingent for Ukraine
Negotiations are currently underway regarding what the deterrence process should look like during a ceasefire and after the war ends. The United States has insisted that Europe send troops to Ukraine.
The United Kingdom and France have taken the lead in Europe’s peacekeeping efforts, creating a Coalition of the Willing. The coalition's goal is to gather countries ready to send troops to Ukraine and provide other forms of assistance to ensure peace.
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed sending the deterrence forces to Ukraine after the war concludes.
