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‘Tak Danmark’: Ukraine posts video to thank Denmark for howitzers

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has made a rousing video thanking Denmark for sending it artillery weapons, backed by the song written to mark Denmark's liberation from Nazi Germany.

Published: 13 February 2023 17:27 CET

'Tak Danmark': Ukraine posts video to thank Denmark for howitzers

A screenshot from the video posted by Ukraine's defence ministry. Photo: Screenshot

The text to the video notes that many nations have come to Ukraine’s aid “even at a cost to their own security needs”, adding that Denmark had given Ukraine every single one of its Caesar self-propelled howitzers.

“Our friends in Copenhagen know that Ukraine’s struggle is Europe’s struggle,” it adds.

Denmark has given Ukraine all of its CAESAR self-propelled howitzers. A true friend who knows that our fight is Europe's fight. Tak, Danmark! pic.twitter.com/x4MP65Yvfo

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 13, 2023

The video shows the howitzers being loaded onto transport planes, and then shows Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, meeting and shaking hands with Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Playing in the background to the video is Danmarks Frihedssang, Denmark’s Song of Freedom, which was written and sung by Aksel Schiøtz in 1945 to mark Denmark’s liberation from Nazi Germany.

Denmark has given Ukraine 19 Caesar howitzers, which are produced by the French government-owned arms company Nexter Systems, and also recently said it planned to give decommissioned Leopard 1A5 tanks to Kyiv.

Caesar stands for CAmion Équipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie, or “truck equipped with an artillery system”.

READ ALSO: Denmark ‘considering’ new military donations to Ukraine

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One in four in Denmark stocked up with ‘crisis’ water and food

Around a quarter of households have stocked three days’ supplies of water after advice was issued by authorities earlier this month to keep stores in case of a crisis.

A survey for newswire Ritzau by the Voxmeter institute found that around a quarter have already followed the guidelines. Over 1,000 people answered the survey, which was conducted between 6 and 9 days after the announcement.

The Danish Emergency Management Service (Beredsskabstyrelsen, DEMA) on June 15th issued advice for the general public to have certain supplies at home so that they are prepared in the event of a crisis. This can can mean natural events like extreme weather or human acts like cyber attacks or sabotage, DEMA said.

DEMA’s director Laila Reenberg, said at a briefing on the recommendations that there was no need to “rush out in panic” to purchase crisis supplies.

“But when you happen to be out grocery shopping, you can gradually fill out your supplies,” she said.

Some 26 percent said they have sufficient stocks of both food and water, while 72 percent said they did not in the survey conducted between June 21st-24th.

Those proportions are reasonable according to an expert, who said it was not expected that the entire country would rush to supermarkets to shop for the full checklist.

READ ALSO:

But the numbers can also be used as a guideline for authorities, said Nina Blom Andersen, specialist in Disaster and Risk Management University College Copenhagen, speaking to news wire Ritzau.

“The authorities should use it as a signpost showing that they should always be aware that there is a group they need to look after,” she said.

The survey also asked respondents if they planned to buy things on the checklist that they do not already have.

Items on the list include power banks, first aid kits and wind-up radios.

“What could change these numbers to people being better prepared at home is continued focus on the task from the media, from authorities and that people keep talking about it in their social networks, private lives and relations,” Andersen said.

Focus on the issue from local as well as national authorities could also boost uptake, she added.

Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has said that information will be sent to all residents in Denmark by secure email “after the summer”.

Folders will also be placed at libraires and other public institutions, he said.

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