NATO Military Committee Meets in Copenhagen to Discuss Russia Threat

NATO's Military Committee convened in Copenhagen on Saturday to address the security challenges posed by Russia, with senior Danish officials pressing the case for heightened readiness across the alliance.

General Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard, Denmark's Chief of Defence, told the meeting that Russia's war in Ukraine continued to cast a long shadow over the proceedings. He pointed to sabotage, cyber attacks and airspace violations affecting several NATO members, including an incident in Copenhagen almost exactly a year ago when unauthorized drones were detected near the airport. Allies have maintained that Russia bears full responsibility for what they describe as dangerous and unacceptable behaviour, he said, adding that the alliance has responded with unity by sharpening its deterrence and defence tools, including strengthened integrated air and missile defence.

Danish defence minister Jeppe Bruus underscored the need for preparation, stating that the security situation is worsening. He said Russia is building up its military with ballistic missiles and disruptive technologies rather than the older equipment it has used in Ukraine, and continues reckless strikes on Ukrainian critical infrastructure and civilians close to NATO territory. He also accused Moscow of escalating hybrid attacks, citing an incident in Denmark the previous week.

Bruus described the demands on NATO's collective deterrence and defence as immediate and continuously growing in an evolving security environment where the geopolitical significance of all corners of allied territory is shifting. He noted that the alliance may never have faced greater adversity, but argued that this has made it more active than it has been in generations. He referenced his recent travels to bilateral meetings, a NATO defence ministers gathering, the NATO summit in Ankara, and a visit to Allied troops in Greenland who are bolstering the alliance's posture in the Arctic and the high North.

Time is of the essence, Bruus said, stressing the need to prepare for the worst outcomes in order to be able to fight tonight and deter threats through the alliance.