New measures against Russian ‘shadow fleet’, Frederiksen speaks to NATO chief Rutte, Ørsted raises funds and more news from Denmark this Tuesday.
Denmark to beef up checks against Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’
Denmark will step up environmental checks on oil tankers in a key shipping lane linking the Baltic and North Seas to crack down on Russia’s “shadow fleet”, Copenhagen said yesterday.
More than 60,000 ships sail past Skagen in north Denmark each year, of which dozens are suspected to belong to a flotilla of rickety ships used by Moscow to circumvent Western sanctions on Russia’s fossil fuel exports.
The announcement comes after a vessel believed to belong to this “shadow fleet” was linked to mysterious drone sightings over Denmark last month, closing airports at a time of heightened East-West tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We’re now reinforcing the control of basic environmental rules, so we can act in a more coherent and effective manner against petrol tankers and Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’,” said Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke in a statement.
PM Frederiksen discusses defence and Ukraine with NATO chief Rutte
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Copenhagen yesterday to discuss defence and support for Ukraine, the prime minister’s office said.
In a statement posted on social media X, Frederiksen said the current security situation and hybrid threats make it necessary to strengthen deterrence and defence.
She also expressed appreciation for NATO and allied support for Denmark during last week’s EU summits in the capital, which came after a spate of drone flights disrupted airports across the country.
Rutte had returned to Copenhagen to meet with the Danish PM after also attending last week’s summits.
READ ALSO: Danish intelligence service says ‘no military threat’ against country
Advertisement
Wind giant Ørsted raises 9.4 billion US dollars in rights issue
Danish wind giant Ørsted says it has raised $9.4 billion in a rights issue aimed at bolstering the company, news agency AFP reports.
The US administration has frozen federal permitting and loans for all offshore and onshore wind projects, with President Donald Trump being a supporter of fossil fuels and opponent of wind power.
Ørsted had planned to sell a stake in its delayed Sunrise Wind project off the coast of New York, but announced in August that it would not be possible to complete the partial divestment following “the recent material adverse development in the US offshore wind market”.
The company said it would not be able to sell the stake on terms that would give it the necessary funds to support its business plan, and said it would seek to raise $9.4 billion through a rights issue.
It said late yesterday that 99.3 percent of shareholders had subscribed to the rights issue.
“The rights issue strengthens Ørsted’s financial foundation, allowing us to focus on delivering our six offshore wind farms under construction, continue to handle the regulatory uncertainty in the US, and strengthen our position as a market leader in offshore wind,” chief executive Rasmus Errboe said in a statement.
Advertisement
Brits in Denmark can soon renew Brexit cards to gain permanent residency
In 2021, British citizens who took up residence in Denmark before January 1st that year were required to apply to extend their right of residence under Denmark’s application of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
Under the agreement, British nationals living in Denmark were given a new residency document in the form of an opholdstilladelse or residency permit ID card.
Those who had lived in Denmark for less than five years when Brexit came into effect were given temporary 5-year residency cards whilst those who had been in the country for more than five years at the time of Britain’s exit from the EU were given 10-year permanent residency cards.
People in the former group gain the right to permanent residency after five years of continuous residence in the country and can therefore apply for this by the time their cards are due for renewal.