New survey: Half of Danes support Ukrainian weapons production in Denmark

Half of Danes support Ukrainian weapons production in Denmark

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*New survey:* Half of Danes are in favor of Ukrainian weapons production in Denmark

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An expert warns of the risks of Ukrainian weapons production in Denmark.

Several Ukrainian companies have told DR that they see Denmark as a possibility for getting a foothold on the European market. 25 minutes ago

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (V) has warned that it won't be long before he presents the first Ukrainian weapons producer in Denmark.

Despite a furious Russian ambassador (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/russisk-ambassadoer-tordner-mod-dansk-ukrainsk-aftale-uden-fortilfaelde-blandt-nato) and warnings from an expert about the risks, a new survey conducted by Epinion for DR shows that good half of Danes are in favor.

47 percent answer that they are either completely or mostly in agreement that it is a good idea to allow Ukrainian defense companies to produce weapons in Denmark.

Every fifth person is mostly opposed.

Back in June, Troels Lund Poulsen signed an agreement (https://www.fmn.dk/da/nyheder/2025/ny-aftale-abner-for-ukrainske-forsvarsvirksomheders-produktion-i-danmark/) with the Ukrainian defense minister, which allows Ukrainian defense companies to establish production in Denmark.

At the same time, the government set aside 500 million crowns to "speed up the establishment of Ukrainian defense industry in Denmark."

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'The risk is quite real'

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It doesn't come without risk to allow Ukrainians to produce in Denmark, says Flemming Splidsboel, senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies with a focus on Russia.

We shouldn't be too worried about Russia attacking Denmark or the companies, but there is a risk of sabotage, cyberattacks, and the Russians trying to influence public opinion by saying: "now we have brought ourselves into Russia's spotlight," says Flemming Splidsboel.

- The risk is quite real.

- It can be sabotage for example against the railway network leading to the company. It can also be attempts to damage or gain access to the building and destroy things.

It will add another chapter to the story of Denmark's and Russia's poor relations, he assesses.

- The Russians will probably start a new chapter in the book and begin to describe the military cooperation that we are doing with Ukraine here.

This obviously does not mean that we become more vulnerable to the Russians, the senior researcher explains.

- We are robust in many areas, and if we are aware of the threat, we can also prepare ourselves for it.

- But we should know and be prepared that the Russians can come up with different things simply because of this new cooperation.

Listen to him put it into words here:

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An entry ticket to the European market

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When the Defense Ministry's Procurement and Acquisition Agency held the largest defense fair in the Nordic region at the beginning of August, there was also participation from many Ukrainian companies.

The Defense Ministry will not yet reveal who will produce in Denmark, but several of them, whom DR met at the fair, expressed interest in starting production in Denmark.

- Our company is currently looking for a new market within the EU, and Denmark is a top priority due to the initiatives that your government is taking, says Volodymyr Cherniuk.

He is the managing director of the company Iron Group, which is a defense technology network from Lviv, which gathers over 77 companies within drones, robot technology, communication and production.

- Producing outside of Ukraine also means that production takes place in a safer location.

He says that several of the companies in the network already have close contact with the Danish embassy in Kyiv.

In the clip here, you can see Volodymyr Cherniuk show some of the products that were present at the fair.

Production in Denmark will also mean a foothold on the European market and with NATO, says Volodymyr Cherniuk.

For the same reason, the company Kray, which produces advanced electronics and software - among other things drones that can be used in harsh environments - is also interested in producing in Denmark.

- First and foremost, it is a quick access to the European market, where we can find a partner in Denmark and then roll out and produce all the products we have developed in Ukraine.

- That's exactly what we're looking for, he says.

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