Russia Threatens Denmark with Nuclear Weapons

The Russian ambassador to Denmark has threatened the country that if it joins the NATO missile defense system, its warships will be within the range of Russian nuclear weapons. Mikhail Vanin, the Russian ambassador in Copenhagen, told the Danish newspaper 'Icelandsposten' that such a decision by the Danish government would be considered 'a threat to Russia.' Vanin stated, 'I don't think the Danes fully understand the consequences that joining the American missile defense system will bring for them. If this happens, Danish warships will be within the range of Russian nuclear weapons.' The Danish newspaper 'Copenhagen Post,' which published a translation of this conversation on April 21, quoted the Russian ambassador as saying that such a move 'would damage the relations between the two countries' and that it would be 'a waste of money and a destruction of security.' The ambassador's verbal threat comes at a time of unprecedented tension in relations between the West and Russia since the Cold War, surrounding the Ukraine crisis. The West accuses Moscow of intervening in the military crisis occurring in eastern Ukraine, between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces. Moscow has denied these accusations but is facing sanctions from the U.S. and the European Union. Eastern European countries have also expressed their concerns about the potential escalation of the crisis and what they call future Russian interventions in their territories. In response to the Russian ambassador's remarks, Danish Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard described his comments as 'certainly unacceptable.' Lidegaard stated, 'Russia knows very well that the NATO missile defense system is defensive. We do not agree with the Russians on many things, but it is important that the tone of our statements remains as positive as possible.'