Danish women to face conscription as Europe faces Russia attack 'in three years'
Denmark has expanded its military service to include women - as NATO warns Russia could attack another European country in "three to five years." Amid heightened tensions across Europe, a change in law came into effect on July 1, and Danish women who turn 18 after that date will face conscription by lottery.
Danish women will now be called up for 11 months of military service, aligning with measures already in place for men. 9,000 people are currently serving in Denmark's military.
Previously, women had only been allowed to join the military voluntarily. Volunteers will be recruited first, with the remaining called up through the lottery system.
In 2024, around 4,700 Danish men and women undertook military service, and 24% of women were female volunteers. 'In the world situation we're in right now, it's necessary to have more conscripts, and I think that women should contribute to that equally, as men do,' Katrine, a recruit in the Danish Royal Life Guard said.
'There are different things that they need to improve, especially in terms of equipment. Right now, it's made for men, so perhaps the rucksacks are a bit too large and the uniforms are large as well'.
It comes after Denmark agreed with NATO allies to increase defence spending and plans to increase the duration of the conscription from four months to 11 months in 2026. It also plans to raise the number of recruits from around 5,000 to 7,500 in 2033.
Meanwhile, NATO has warned that Russia could be ready to attack another European country in 3-5 years. To prepare, the military alliance — most of whose members are EU countries — has agreed that national military and defence-related investment should rise to 5% of GDP.
Denmark's priority will be to set Europe on track to properly defend itself by 2030. That will require laying the groundwork for countries to buy the military equipment needed to execute NATO's defence plans with Trump's security priorities lying outside Europe. That will mean wrapping up negotiations on proposals that will help countries purchase and make military equipment together.
Moreover, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen vowed on Thursday to back Ukraine in its quest to join the European Union. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky joined Frederiksen and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the western city of Aarhus, where Denmark is marking the start of its eighth EU presidency since joining in 1973.
It come as Trump administration decided to halt some arms shipments promised to help Kyiv fight off Russia's invasion. Russia's renewed push to capture more territory has put Ukraine's defenses under severe strain, with the war now in its fourth year.
Russian missiles and drones are battering Ukrainian cities. U.S.-led efforts to find a peace settlement have stalled.
'Ukraine belongs in the EU. It is in the interest of both Denmark and Europe. Therefore, the Danish Presidency will do everything we can to help Ukraine on its path towards EU membership,' Frederiksen said in a statement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
4 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Gaza ceasefire talks: Hamas officials meet to discuss proposed deal
Hamas leaders are close to accepting a proposed deal for a ceasefire in Gaza but want stronger guarantees that any pause in hostilities would lead to a permanent end to the 20-month war, sources close to the militant Islamist organisation have said. Hamas officials met on Thursday in Istanbul to discuss the new ceasefire proposals and later issued a statement confirming they were talking to other 'Palestinian factions' before formally announcing a response. The militant Islamist group has come under immense pressure in recent months, with its military leadership decimated and the Israeli military forcing its fighters out of former strongholds in the southern and central parts of Gaza. In recent days, Israel has ramped up its offensive, launching an intense wave of airstrikes across Gaza, killing more than 250 Palestinians, according to medical and civil defence officials, including many women and children. Hardline factions within Hamas have now reluctantly accepted the need for a ceasefire to allow the organisation to regroup and plan a new strategy, one source familiar with the internal debate said. Since a previous ceasefire collapsed in March, more than 6,000 people have been killed in Gaza and an acute humanitarian crisis has worsened. Efforts for a new truce in Gaza gathered momentum after the US secured a ceasefire to end the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran last month. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, is expected to fly to Washington on Sunday for talks with Trump about the war in Gaza, the recent war between Israel and Iran, and other regional issues. Netanyahu has long resisted a permanent end to the war in Gaza, partly to retain the support of far-right allies in his ruling coalition. But Israel's successes in the war with Iran have strengthened his political position and opinion polls in Israel show strong support for a deal. On Tuesday, Trump announced that Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas, during which the parties will work to end the war. Israel's security cabinet met on Thursday night to discuss options for Gaza, including an escalation of the current offensive. 'Judging by the signals from Hamas, there is a high probability that we will start proximity talks in the next few days. If there is consent to proximity talks, there will be a deal,' senior Israeli officials told Channel 12, a major Israeli TV network. A senior Israeli official close to Netanyahu told Reuters that preparations were now in place to approve the ceasefire deal. Another Israeli source said that an Israeli delegation was preparing to join indirect talks brokered by Qatar and Egypt to cement the deal if Hamas responded positively. The proposal includes the release of 10 living Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the Hamas attack into southern Israel in October 2023 that triggered the conflict, and the return of the bodies of 18 more in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, an official familiar with the negotiations said on Thursday. Hamas seized 251 hostages during the 2023 attack. Less than half of the 50 who remain in Gaza are believed to be alive. Aid would enter Gaza immediately under the agreement, and the Israeli military would carry out a phased withdrawal from parts of the territory, according to the proposal. Negotiations would immediately start on a permanent ceasefire. 'We sure hope it's a done deal, but I think it's all going to be what Hamas is willing to accept,' Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, told Israel's Channel 12 on Thursday. 'One thing is clear: the president wants it to be over. The prime minister wants it to be over. The American people, the Israeli people, want it to be over.' Speaking to journalists while on his way to a rally in Iowa on Thursday, Trump said: 'I want the people of Gaza to be safe. That's more important than anything else. They've gone through hell.' Netanyahu visited Israel's Nir Oz kibbutz on Thursday for the first time since the 2023 Hamas attack. The community was one of the worst-hit in the attack, with nearly one in four residents kidnapped or killed. 'I feel a deep commitment – first of all to ensure the return of all of our hostages, all of them. There are still 20 who are alive and there are also those who are deceased, and we will bring them all back,' Netanyahu said. The Israeli prime minister has been heavily criticised for refusing to take responsibility for the failures that allowed the 2023 attack, during which Hamas-led militants killed 1,200, mostly civilians, and has been repeatedly accused of prioritising his political survival over the fate of the hostages. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,00 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to a count by the territory's Ministry of Health that is considered reliable by the United Nations and many western governments. The Israeli military said it 'follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm' when striking 'terrorist targets'.
Evening Standard
4 minutes ago
- Evening Standard
Explosions rock Kyiv as Putin's forces bombard Ukraine's capital and Trump says 'no progress' on ceasefire
A decision by Washington earlier this week to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that he hopes to speak with Trump on Friday about the supply of US weapons.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Russia becomes first country to recognise Taliban's rule in Afghanistan
Russia has become the first nation to formally recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan since the group seized power in 2021, following Moscow's decision to remove the organisation from its list of outlawed entities. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed it had accepted credentials from Afghanistan's newly appointed Ambassador, Gul Hassan Hassan. The ministry stated that this official recognition would foster "productive bilateral cooperation". Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry hailed the development as a "historic step". Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was quoted welcoming the decision as "a good example for other countries." The Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Since then, the group has sought international recognition while imposing its strict interpretation of Islamic law. While no country had formally recognized the Taliban administration until now, the group had engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates. Still, the Taliban government has been relatively isolated on the world stage, largely over its restrictions on women. Although the Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, it started to enforce restrictions on women and girls soon after the 2021 takeover. Women are barred from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gyms, while girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade. Russian officials have recently been emphasizing the need to engage with the Taliban to help stabilize Afghanistan, and lifted a ban on the Taliban in April. Russia 's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, said in remarks broadcast by state Channel One television that the decision to officially recognize the Taliban government was made by President Vladimir Putin on advice from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Zhirnov said the decision proves Russia's 'sincere striving for the development of full-fledged relations with Afghanistan.'
