Against the background of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Denmark has come out in favor of abolishing its EU defense reservation with a clear majority. After counting almost all the votes cast in a referendum, the yes camp was almost 67 percent late Wednesday evening, the opposite side around 33 percent. The special regulation, which is unique in the EU, means that the country has so far been able to take part in civilian but not in EU military missions or in the joint development of weapons systems, for example.

An overwhelming majority of Danes voted to abolish the reservation, Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told party friends in Copenhagen. This means that Denmark can now participate in European cooperation on defense and security.

Denmark has sent a very clear signal to its allies in NATO and Europe, but also to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Frederiksen said. “We show that when Putin invades a free and independent country and threatens the stability of Europe, then the rest of us move closer together.”

The two leading television broadcasters DR and TV2 had previously estimated that the vote had been decided. The provisional final result was still pending at around 10:30 p.m.