# OPEN LETTER: Denmark, thank you — 672 million dollars and a lesson in dignity for Europe

> Mr. Prime Minister of Denmark, ladies and gentlemen of the Copenhagen government — allow a Quebec columnist to write the letter that

- Author: Maxime Marquette
- Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co)
- Section: Open letter
- Published: 2026-07-01
- Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/lettre-ouverte-danemark-merci-672-millions-de-dollars-et-une-lecon-de-dignite-po

## Introduction: a letter that should have been written sooner

### The 30th Danish package: what 672 million really means

Mr. Prime Minister of Denmark, ladies and gentlemen of the **Copenhagen** government — allow a Quebec columnist to write the letter that too many European capitals should have drafted long before now. On **June 30, 2026**, the Danish government approved its **30th military aid package to Ukraine**, worth **590 million euros** — approximately **672 million US dollars** or **4.4 billion Danish kroner**. This is the largest Danish package announced in **2026**. It is also, for those who know how to read the signals, one of the most courageous political gestures of the year in **Europe**.

Your country has **5.9 million inhabitants**. It does not rank among the continent's military giants. It does not carry the geopolitical weight of **France**, the industrial mass of **Germany**, or the nuclear posture of the **United Kingdom**. And yet it is at its **30th military aid package** to **Ukraine**, with an envelope that exceeds what certain much larger countries have provided over two years. There is a lesson here that Europe should reflect on.

*Thirty packages. That number says everything. Not a one-off gesture driven by international press pressure. Not a symbolic act timed to a summit. A continuous, systematic commitment renewed thirty times. Denmark decided that Ukrainian freedom was worth a sustained, long-haul mobilization. That is what genuine solidarity looks like.*

## The 15,000 long-range rounds: concrete solidarity

### Munitions that matter at the front

The **June 30, 2026** package includes notably **additional funding for long-range artillery munitions**. The original documentation mentions approximately **15,000 long-range rounds**, part of which was already in the process of delivery. These rounds are not abstract. On the front, every long-range artillery shell represents the ability to strike Russian positions beyond direct range, disrupt troop concentrations, and reach deep logistics depots.

Artillery warfare remains, in **2026**, one of the determining factors on the Ukrainian front. The ammunition balance has been one of **Ukraine**'s most glaring deficits since **2022**. Every delivery of long-range munitions — whether from **Denmark**, **Czechia**, **Poland** or others — narrows that deficit. **Denmark**, with this **30th package**, contributes to maintaining the artillery parity that conditions the holding of Ukrainian lines.

### Additional undisclosed weapons

The package also includes **additional weapons** whose nature was not detailed publicly by the Danish government. **Ukrayinska Pravda** reported on **June 30** that the government had briefed the **Foreign Affairs Committee** on the package details, but not all of them were made public. This is not unusual — operational security sometimes requires not disclosing the exact contents of deliveries before they are in transit.

What is known: **590 million euros** of military aid. What can be inferred: weapons systems, equipment, vehicles, varied munitions. **Denmark** has a tradition of qualitative military aid — not junk, not outdated surplus, but real, operational equipment that makes a difference on the ground. The Danish **F-16s** already delivered to **Ukraine** are the most spectacular proof of that.

*I note that the Danish government does not boast. It delivers, funds, and announces soberly. No grand speeches about European values without the deeds to back them up. This operational discretion is a form of seriousness I wish I saw more of in other capitals that prefer declarations to deliveries.*

## The Danish model: 198 million to fund Ukrainian industry

### An innovation that goes beyond simple aid

The most innovative part of this **30th package** is not in the munitions or weapons. It lies in what the Danes call the **"Danish model"**: **1.3 billion Danish kroner** — approximately **198.6 million US dollars** — allocated directly to **funding the procurement costs of the Ukrainian state from its own defense industry**. In plain terms: **Denmark** pays for **Ukraine** to buy weapons made in **Ukraine**.

This model is revolutionary in its logic. It is no longer about sending weapons from the **West** to **Ukraine**. It is about funding **Ukraine**'s capacity to produce its own weapons on its own territory, with its own workers and the expertise it has accumulated over four years of war. This is industrial sovereignty-building financed by an external ally. It is exactly the direction in which aid to **Ukraine** should be evolving.

### Why this model is superior to classic deliveries

The **Danish model** offers several advantages over direct equipment deliveries. First, it keeps the funds within the **Ukrainian economy**, stimulating employment and industrial capacity in wartime. Second, it produces weapons adapted to the specific needs of Ukrainian forces, who know the terrain better than any external supplier. Third, it builds a defense industrial base that will serve **Ukraine** long after the conflict ends — if that day ever comes.

**Reuters** confirmed this funding mechanism on **June 30** in its reporting on the Danish package. The **Danish model** approach has been cited by other **Ukraine** partners as an inspiration for their own aid. This may be Denmark's most lasting contribution to **Ukraine**'s defense: not just weapons, but a support model that others can replicate.

*The Danish model is what intelligent solidarity looks like when you think it through carefully. Not condescending charity. Not aid tied to contracts for the Danish defense industry. Funding Ukraine's capacity to defend itself. That is treating Ukraine as an equal, not as a client or a ward.*

## Thirty packages: a trajectory that commands respect

### From the first package to June 2026: Danish consistency

Being at the **30th military aid package** means **Denmark** has maintained a remarkable pace of engagement since the start of the large-scale conflict in **February 2022**. Each package represented a renewed political choice, in the face of economic pressures, internal debates, and voices calling for accommodation with **Russia**. **Denmark** said no to those voices, thirty times.

This consistency stands in sharp contrast to the hesitations of certain allies. **Hungary** under **Viktor Orbán** regularly blocks European aid mechanisms. **Italy** is slowing its commitments for **2027**. Several **NATO** countries contribute below their actual capacity. Against this uneven landscape, Danish consistency looks like a fixed line in a world that wobbles. It deserves to be named and saluted.

### The Nordic example: a solidarity doctrine

**Denmark** is not alone in this posture. Its Nordic neighbors — **Sweden**, **Finland**, **Norway**, the **Netherlands** — have all maintained high and consistent aid levels. These countries understood something that the large central powers of **Europe** sometimes take time to grasp: what is happening in **Ukraine** is not a peripheral conflict. It is a war for the fundamental principles of the European order. And those who live closest to the danger understood that first.

**Finland** and **Sweden**, now NATO members, have joined this Nordic dynamic with an acute awareness of what a Russian victory in **Ukraine** would mean. **Denmark**, for its part, did not wait to be directly threatened to understand that the threat is real. That is a form of political farsightedness that deserves to be highlighted.

*There is something deeply healthy about Nordic foreign policy: a capacity to see things as they are, without the distortion of major economic interests with Russia. No pipelines to protect, no gas contracts to preserve. Just principles, values, and the awareness that history is knocking at the door.*

## To Ukraine: what this package means for you

### A letter to Kyiv

**Volodymyr Zelensky**, **Mykhailo Fedorov**, Ukrainian soldiers at the front — this **30th Danish package** is a declaration of lasting friendship, not improvised emergency aid. **672 million dollars** in weapons, munitions and direct funding for your defense industry, decided by a country of **5.9 million people** with no legal obligation to mobilize at this level. It is a moral choice, renewed thirty times.

I know this is not victory. I know that **672 million** alone cannot close the Ukrainian sky or stop Russian tanks. But this constant commitment, this political decision renewed at the **30th package**, says something important: you are not alone. Some in **Europe** have understood the stakes and they are not letting go. **Denmark** is one of them. Remember that.

### What Denmark asks in return

Unlike certain partners who condition their aid on political or economic commitments, **Denmark** has not attached public conditions to this **30th package**. It has simply delivered — weapons, funding, support for the Ukrainian industry. The implicit counterpart, if one is needed at all, is the continuation of Ukrainian resistance against Russian aggression. Which is what **Ukraine** is already doing every day, at the cost of blood.

This package fits into a broader mechanism: military aid to **Ukraine** in **2026** is increasingly taking the form of support for Ukrainian industrial autonomy. The **Danish model** is its leading edge. Tomorrow, if other allies adopt this model, **Ukraine** could become not only a country receiving aid, but a defense power that exports its know-how to its allies. The circle closes.

*The Ukraine of 2026 is not the Ukraine of 2022. It has a defense industry that produces drones, missiles, armored vehicles, electronic warfare systems. The Danish model recognizes this reality and amplifies it. This may be the best strategic news in all this aid: Ukraine is becoming self-sufficient.*

## The Ukrainian defense industry: the partner Denmark chose

### A sector that exploded in four years of war

**Ukraine** in **2026** is no longer a country waiting for Western deliveries with arms folded. Its national defense industry has experienced explosive growth since **2022**. Long-range drones striking oil depots in **Russia**. Locally produced missiles. Innovative electronic warfare systems. The share of domestic production in Ukrainian military procurement reached, according to **United24**, **95 percent** of weapons purchases in **2026**. That is not a detail — it is a structural transformation.

It is in this context that the **Danish model** takes on its full significance. By funding **Ukrainian state** procurement from **its own defense industry**, **Denmark** is not merely supporting the immediate war effort. It is investing in the **Ukrainian defense industrial base** that will serve long after the conflict ends. It is funding the strategic autonomy of a country that aspires to join **NATO** and the **European Union**. This is industrial policy as much as military aid.

### The European commissioner acknowledged it: one of the most innovative industries in Europe

International recognition of the quality of Ukraine's defense industry has come from the highest levels. **European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius** recently described the Ukrainian defense industry as **"one of the most innovative in Europe"** and called for its **deeper integration into the European defense industrial base**. These are not empty words — they are institutional recognition that opens doors.

The **Danish model**, by funding this industry, accelerates that integration. When a Ukrainian drone company receives Danish funds to produce drones for Ukrainian forces, it develops standards, certifications, and partnerships that bring it closer to the European defense ecosystem. This is an integration-through-production strategy, and it works.

*A Ukraine that produces its own weapons, partially funded by Denmark, certified to European standards, integrated into the NATO supply chain — that is the Ukraine I want to see at the end of this conflict. Not a country permanently dependent on foreign aid, but a credible defense partner. The Danish model, step by step, is building that Ukraine.*

## The Danish F-16s: when Denmark already showed the way

### The F-16 decision: a courageous precedent

**Denmark** is not at its first bold gesture toward **Ukraine**. The Danish decision to deliver **F-16** fighters to **Ukraine** — announced in **2023** alongside other Nordic countries and followed through with actual deliveries — was at the time a decision that many allies had not dared take. Providing fighter aircraft to a nation in active war with a nuclear power seemed inconceivable to some. **Denmark** concluded that the inconceivable was necessary.

Those **F-16s** have since changed the Ukrainian air balance. They did not reverse the balance on their own, but they gave **Ukraine** a capability it sorely lacked. And the Danish decision opened the way for similar deliveries by other countries. That is the mechanics of leadership: someone has to go first. **Denmark** did it several times. The **30th package** is part of this tradition of courageous first steps.

### Credibility built through deeds

**Denmark** has a unique credibility with **Ukraine** because it acted before it spoke. It did not wait for polls to confirm popular support. It did not condition its aid on repayment guarantees. It did not calculate the political return on investment of each delivery. It assessed the situation, concluded that aid was necessary and right, and it acted. Thirty times.

This credibility, built from repeated acts, is precious beyond the monetary value of the packages. It tells **Ukraine**: there are allies you can count on, who do not retreat under pressure, who do not change position with every election or every call from **Moscow**. In a world of strategic uncertainty, this kind of reliable partner is an invaluable resource.

*The Danish F-16s flying today over Ukraine carry the imprint of a courageous political decision made in Copenhagen against the advice of those who counseled caution. I sometimes wonder what those Ukrainian pilots think when they climb into those cockpits. Perhaps the same thing I do: that the courage of an ally can change the course of a war.*

## To other European governments: read this

### A direct call to the capitals that hesitate

This open letter is also addressed — perhaps above all — to the governments that are not yet at their **30th package**. To **Rome**, which is slowing commitments for **2027**. To **Budapest**, which blocks European mechanisms. To the capitals providing symbolic but insufficient aid. The budget argument is understandable. The public opinion argument is real. But neither of these weighs as heavily as the price paid by Ukrainians while the discussions drag on.

**Denmark** has shown that it is possible. With **5.9 million inhabitants**, with real budget constraints, with a public opinion that is not unanimous on every decision, it has maintained significant and consistent aid. If **Denmark** can do it, why can't others who are larger, wealthier, and more powerful? This question deserves an honest answer, not technical explanations.

### European security cannot be delegated

For decades, **Europe** subcontracted its security to the **United States**. That era is over. **Washington** under the **Trump** administration has clearly signaled that Europeans must do their share — or all of it. The funding of aid to **Ukraine** planned for **2026** — **70 billion euros** — will happen without American contribution. That is unprecedented. And it is a responsibility that **Europe** must fully assume.

**Denmark**, with its **30th package**, demonstrates that this responsibility can be met. But it cannot rest on the shoulders of a few virtuous countries while others merely watch. **672 million Danish dollars** cannot compensate for Roman hesitations, Hungarian blockages, and the political calculations of less committed capitals. **Europe** must be collectively committed in action, not just in declaration.

*Europe will rise to this historic moment or it will not. And if it does not, it will have to live with the consequences of a Russian victory on its eastern borders. I trust Denmark to understand this. I am less certain that all other capitals have truly internalized what failure would mean.*

## Conclusion: thank you, Denmark — and now

### A letter that ends with a demand

This open letter begins with a sincere thank you and ends with a demand — not toward **Denmark**, which is already doing its share and more, but toward all those who are not yet doing enough. The **30th Danish package**, with its **590 million euros**, its **15,000 long-range rounds** and its **198 million** for the **Danish model**, is a standard. Not a ceiling that no one can reach — a floor that every serious country should at least match, in proportion to its size and wealth.

**Ukraine** holds. It holds because countries like **Denmark** have not let go. It will hold more firmly if other countries join this consistency. This is not a matter of pro-Ukrainian sentiment. It is a matter of documented, quantified, obvious European strategic interest. Thirty packages, **672 million**, the Danish model: this is what long-term vision looks like in foreign policy.

### To Ukraine and to Denmark: history is watching

**Zelensky** and **Copenhagen** — you are building something together that will outlast the tallies of **2026**. A relationship of trust, a precedent of solidarity, a model of defense cooperation that will serve as a reference for the decades to come. History will record that **Denmark** was there, at the **30th package**, when it still mattered. That simple and true sentence is worth more than all the speeches about European values.

Thank you, **Denmark**. And now — let the others follow.

*Thirty packages, 672 million, the F-16s, the Danish model. This is not philanthropy — it is strategy. Denmark understood before many others that European security is being decided right now, in the Ukrainian plains, and that investing there is the best possible commitment for the decades ahead. History will prove it right. And to those who hesitated, history will ask hard questions.*

**By Maxime Marquette, columnist**

## Columnist's transparency note

### Editorial stance

I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies.

I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events.

### Method and sources

This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here.

**Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies.

**Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations.

When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**.

### Nature of the analysis

The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted.

My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors.

This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text.

## Sources

### Primary sources

- [Denmark to allocate nearly €600mn in military aid to Ukraine — Ukrayinska Pravda, June 30, 2026](https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/06/30/8041821/)

- [Denmark launches $672 million military aid package for Ukraine — Reuters, June 30, 2026](https://www.reuters.com/world/denmark-launches-672-million-military-aid-package-ukraine-2026-06-30/)

### Secondary sources

- [Ukraine to receive 15,000 long-range artillery rounds from Denmark — United24, June 30, 2026](https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/ukraine-to-receive-15000-long-range-artillery-rounds-from-denmark-in-new-military-aid-package-20152)

- [Denmark to supply Ukraine with 15,000 long-range artillery shells — Militarnyi, June 30, 2026](https://militarnyi.com/en/news/denmark-to-supply-ukraine-with-15-000-long-range-artillery-shells/)

- [Denmark launches $672 million military aid package for Ukraine — The Straits Times, June 30, 2026](https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/denmark-launches-672-million-military-aid-package-for-ukraine)

- [Ukraine in talks with France to produce SCALP missiles under license — NewsUkraine, June 29, 2026](https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-in-talks-with-france-to-produce-scalp-1782763103.html)

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Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. When citing, name the author and link https://mad-max.co/en/article/lettre-ouverte-danemark-merci-672-millions-de-dollars-et-une-lecon-de-dignite-po