Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III praised the longstanding defense ties between the United States and Denmark today during a meeting with Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen at the Pentagon.
The secretary noted Denmark's contributions to shared national security interests, including its continued support for Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, DOD's northernmost installation operated by the Space Force's 821st Space Base Group.
Austin also praised Denmark's leadership among allies to ensure Ukraine remains postured to deter Russian aggression.
"Denmark may be a small country, but it's one of the top financial donors to Ukraine as a percentage of [gross domestic product]," Austin said. "Denmark has also led the way in finding innovative solutions to meet Ukraine's operational requirements, and you have stepped up as a co-leader of the Air Force Capability Coalition of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group alongside my country and the Netherlands."
Denmark's efforts include providing Ukraine with F-16 Fighting Falcon's and training Ukrainian pilots on the advanced aircraft.
The two leaders met today after the U.S. and Denmark signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement last year that set forth a framework for enhanced defense cooperation, building upon the close ties between the two countries.
Austin reaffirmed the United States' commitment to building upon that momentum and further deepening the U.S.-Denmark bilateral defense ties.
"Our countries both believe that our democratic values and our close defense cooperation are vital for peace, prosperity and security in the North Atlantic," Austin said. "So, I appreciate Denmark's increasing role in regional defense, and I applaud Denmark's commitment to meet the pledge that all NATO members took to invest at least 2% of your GDP in defense this year."
Poulsen echoed Austin's praise for the close U.S.-Denmark partnership and pledged to continue building upon that partnership and strengthening European security.