Denmark’s NATO involvement in Ukraine and fighting Islamic State in Iraq were high on the agenda yesterday when the defence minister, Nicolai Wammen, met with John McHugh, the secretary of the United States Army, during his visit to Denmark.

Continued co-operation
Concerning Ukraine, Wammen expressed Denmark’s continued backing of the EU and NATO position. “It’s important we continue to support Ukraine, and that the USA and Denmark continue to respond as a common front under NATO to Russia’s aggressive conduct in the region,” he said in a press release.

“Therefore it’s also important to follow up on the initiatives from the NATO summit in Wales. I emphasised at the meeting that Denmark will continue its security contributions, including surveillance flights over the Baltic Sea as well as NATO exercises. We just had a company in Lithuania from 17 December to 19 December 2014.”

Wammen also emphasised co-operation with the Americans in the Middle East. “From both the Danish and the American side there is strong consensus that it is important that we in the coalition continue the fight against this horrendous terrorist movement, even though it will be a difficult and protracted task.”