Politics
**Denmark pays thousands of kroner to the Russian embassy: 'Drop that arrangement'**
Denmark pays the property taxes for the Russian embassy. The Russians do the same for Denmark's embassy in Moscow.
It is the Danish state that pays Russia's property taxes for the Russian embassy in Copenhagen. (Photo: © Liselotte Sabroe, Ritzau Scanpix) 7 min. ago
The relationship between Denmark and Russia is hardly at its best these years. Quite the opposite.
Even so, the Danish state spends money on having the Russian embassy located in Copenhagen.
The Russian embassy costs the Danish state 750,000 kroner annually.
Denmark pays for the embassy's municipal property taxes and fees as a result of a mutual agreement with the Russians from 1982.
But the government should drop that agreement, believes Dennis Flydtkjær, who is finance spokesperson for the Denmark Democrats.
- I think this arrangement should be dropped now, because we have a concrete threat from Russia against Europe and against Denmark. We are experiencing geopolitical tensions where it all comes down to the fact that there is a threat against Europe from Russia, he says.
The agreement with the Russians is a so-called "reciprocity agreement," which means that Denmark pays municipal property taxes and fees for the Russian embassy, and Russia therefore covers corresponding expenses related to the Danish embassy and diplomatic residences in Moscow. An agreement that appears in the budget proposal ( https://fm.dk/media/4hcpr0jv/forslag-til-finanslov-2027-fuld-version.pdf ) for 2027.
But even though the agreement works both ways, Dennis Flydtkjær believes it sends a completely wrong signal.
- I would urge the government to have this agreement terminated, because one should not be sitting there sending money to the Russian embassy when there is no similar agreement with any other country in the world. It is Russia that we feel threatened by in these years, both in Denmark and Europe, and with the war in Ukraine, they should not be sitting there supporting the Russian embassy with 750,000 kroner, he says.
Liberal Alliance's foreign affairs spokesperson, Lars-Christian Brask, is also not impressed by the agreement.
- We are naturally opposed to helping our friend's enemy, regardless of the fact that the amount is a rounding error in the grand scheme of things.
- The government should not pay Copenhagen Municipality for the property tax.
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'A part of diplomatic relations'
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states in a written quote that the agreement is valid until the end of 2051.
- The agreement is based on the principle of reciprocity regarding the rent-free right of use of specific properties in Copenhagen and Moscow, respectively.
- The agreement is thus an integrated part of Denmark's diplomatic relations with Russia, it writes.
Dennis Flydtkjær, however, does not put much stock in that explanation.
- It is not because I wish to impair the diplomatic relations with Russia, but I simply cannot see why they should not cover their own expenses themselves.
- Denmark should of course also cover its own expenses in Russia; there is no reason for this kind of special agreement, he says.
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