Why Is Denmark Leading the Pack on Ukraine?

Why Denmark? Almost since beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine it has puzzled me that a country smaller and further from the war zone than many other allies should so consistently, if quietly, have taken the lead.

There’s no single answer. Political will, fiscal space, history and serendipity all play a role in explaining why Denmark has the most successful model for both wartime reconstruction and funding for Ukraine’s defense procurement. In the process, it has become among the largest per capita contributors to Ukraine’s defense, and the seventh-biggest in absolute terms.

This was true long before Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s performance at Wednesday’s informal summit of European leaders, where she – as host – organized the discussion squarely around how to respond to the threat from the east and build up the continent’s defense capabilities. It could also explain why Denmark’s airports were singled out, along with frontline states such as Poland and Romania, for apparent Russian drone incursions.