Sam Clem-Whiting
November 17th, 2022

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It would move the heart of the EU to Russia (photo: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine)

The acting foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod, did not mince his words following the news that a Polish farm was struck by missiles on Tuesday, killing two residents.

“We are, along with Poland, part of the world’s strongest military alliance, NATO,” he told TV2.

“A security matter for Poland is a security matter for all of us.”

Initial reports claimed they were Russian
Fortunately for the sake of world peace, it would appear the missiles – which struck a farmhouse close to the Polish-Ukrainian border near the village of Przewodów – were not Russian but stray fire from Ukrainian forces, according to NATO.

Early speculation suggested the missiles were of Russian origin. The global implications of stray Russian missiles, or something more sinister, landing in Poland, a NATO member state, would have been severe.

Zelenskyy still isn’t sure
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to deny that the missiles were fired by Ukraine, but is unable to provide evidence, saying that he must trust the word of his military.

The missile type and trajectory make it unlikely that Russian forces fired them, according to NATO.

Russia still to blame, concludes NATO
NATO officials insist, however, that this does not absolve Russia of responsibility for the blast or the deaths they caused.

“This is not Ukraine’s fault,” said Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of NATO, to reporters in Brussels.

“Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine.” 

Cross border commuting
A new report shows the potential for increased commuter numbers over the Øresund. With an increasing labor shortage in Denmark, an increase in commuters from Sweden could give a much-needed boost to various industries, including transport, trade, health and social care, ICT and life sciences. The Øresunds Instituttet report suggests that constructing more inter-border commuting options would especially help young people under the age of 25, women, and commuters in low-income occupations find valuable opportunities.

A solemn return
The body of Sasia Amalie Morsø, the 30-year-old Danish murder victim found in a French refrigerator nearly two months ago, is being returned home for her funeral in Aarhus. In a press release, her family gave her name and details about the funeral service. Her Danish boyfriend has been charged in France with her murder. He was caught by a couple of friends who he asked to help him move a fridge, which supposedly contained a dead dog. The friends reported what they saw to the authorities who did later find another fridge containing a dead dog during their investigations.

Homophobia costs Faroese county governor his job
Jenis av Rana, a Faroese county governor who is the chair of of the prominent Christian party Miðflokkurin, has been fired after refusing to implement a policy passed by Lagtinget, the islands’ parliament. The policy states that children of same-sex couples must take the surname of both parents. Av Rana recently created a stir with incendiary comments about Søren Pape Poulsen’s sexuality: “Living as a so-called ‘homosexual’ is against the constitution that I personally have, that my party has, and that I think the Faroe Islands has.”

Eight billion people not alarming, says Danish academic
It was announced on Tuesday that the world has reached a human population of 8 billion. The number will continue to grow, but not as quickly as over the last 30 years, reaching 9.7 billion by 2050 and 10.4 billion by 2100. Experts like Ilya Kashnitsky, an assistant professor at SDU, emphasise that the urge to panic about population growth is dated and not helpful. “Reaching 8 billion is not alarming at all. What is alarming is humanity’s development based on Western civilization, in which we consume more than the planet can sustain,” Kashnitsky told TV2.

A greener Indonesia on the cards
Denmark has joined a coalition of countries that will help Indonesia smoothly speed up its green transition. The US, Japan, and Indonesia will lead the 143 billion kroner project. It will seek to close down coal plants, increase reliance on renewable energy, and help the country achieve more ambitious climate goals more quickly.

Large Danish contingent at COP27
Denmark shows its continual dedication to the climate crisis with substantial representation at COP27. The 30 companies and organisations arriving in Sharm el-Sheikh from Denmark are more than any previous summit.