In response to the deteriorating relations between Russia and European countries due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, Denmark has decided to conscript women into military service for the first time in its history.
This move is part of what has been described as a comprehensive reform of the armed forces, which the government says is aimed not at waging war but at avoiding it.
Denmark has frequently accused the Russian military of breaching its territorial waters, especially before the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia has threatened Denmark with a nuclear strike if it participates in NATO's missile defense system, set to be operational by 2025.
With the onset of the war, Denmark expelled about 15 Russian diplomats on charges of espionage, to which Moscow responded by expelling 7 Danish diplomats.
Under the defense settlement plan for 2024-2033, 5,000 conscripts, both male and female, will be called up annually starting from 2026.
According to The Guardian, the government aims for "full gender equality" and plans to extend the military service duration from four to 11 months.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described this step as not intended to rearm Denmark's army.
As a founding member of NATO and a significant supporter of Ukraine in its efforts to fend off a full-scale war, Denmark is one of the few countries supplying Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets, scheduled for delivery this summer.
The Danish military comprises 7,000 to 9,000 professional soldiers, excluding conscripts undergoing basic training, according to official figures.
Politico reports that compulsory military service currently applies to men over 18, but due to a sufficient number of volunteers, not all young men are conscripted; instead, a lottery system is used.
Denmark spent about 1.4% of its GDP on defense last year but plans to boost its defense spending by 5.4 billion euros over the next five years to meet NATO's 2% target.
Under the new conscription model, conscripts will receive 5 months of basic training before spending 6 months in operational service in the army, air force, and navy, where they will also receive training.
The Danish Defense Minister highlighted that Europe's security policy situation has become more dangerous, amid growing concerns about Europe's defense capabilities against Russian aggression.
With this move, Denmark becomes the third country in Europe to implement mandatory conscription for females, following Norway and Sweden in 2015 and 2017, respectively.
The defense minister, as reported by the American newspaper, stated that strong compulsory conscription contributes to solving defense challenges and national mobilization and provides a historic boost to the armed forces.
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