Russian Envoy: Denmark Threatens Us with Bornholm

Denmark is using the island of Bornholm to threaten Russia's security, claims Moscow's ambassador to Denmark. This statement follows the recent announcement that Denmark will invest in long-range precision weapons.

– Bornholm has been an island of peace for many years, and even during the Cold War, it was not a site for military preparations, contributing to stability in the Baltic Sea region. Today, however, Denmark uses the island to create threats against Russia's security, including the Kaliningrad region, says Ambassador Vladimir Barbin according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

He does not specify further how Bornholm poses a threat.

Direct Confrontation?

The interview was conducted after the Danish government announced on Wednesday that, for the first time, it will invest in long-range precision weapons, something Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described as 'a paradigm shift.'

But Vladimir Barbin called the decision 'pure madness.' In a written comment to the newspaper Berlingske, he claimed that Denmark is preparing for a direct military confrontation with Russia.

'No one, anywhere, ever in the world, has considered threatening a nuclear power publicly. These statements will undoubtedly be taken into account,' wrote the ambassador.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen responded, emphasizing that the aim is not to go to war but to deter Russia. The ambassador's statements were dismissed as propaganda intended to scare the Danes.

Received Regiment

Bornholm, about 30 kilometers southeast of the coast of Skåne, has been described as Denmark's outpost to the east. This spring, Copenhagen announced that the island would receive its own regiment as part of the country's military buildup. This also met with sharp criticism from the Russian ambassador.