By Staff, Agencies

Danish voters opted to join the European Union [EU]’s collective security protocol by a substantial majority, in what Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called a “clear signal” to Moscow following its attack on Ukraine.

A referendum to overturn a decades-long policy to remain outside the EU’s defense bloc – formally known as the Common Security and Defense Policy [CSDP] – passed easily on Wednesday, with nearly 67% of voters in favor.

Though Denmark was the only EU state that did not belong to the CSDP due to a 1993 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, which officially established the union, the prime minister suggested the move was in response to Russia’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

“We have sent a signal to our allies in NATO, in Europe. And we have sent a clear signal to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin,” Frederiksen said late Wednesday, after it became clear the referendum would pass, adding: “When Putin invades a free and independent country, when Putin threatens peace and stability, we all move closer together.”

Despite Denmark’s previous reluctance to formally sign onto the CSDP, its military cooperates extensively with other EU states, and Copenhagen is a founding member of the NATO military bloc, carrying out regular exercises and drills with partners across Europe.