Today’s big topic: A pan-Nordic debate showed that the Nordic countries stand united
Jens Stoltenberg, Norway’s finance minister, said Wednesday evening on the pan-Nordic edition of “Debatten” on DR1 that he recalled the moment when Lars Løkke became ‘Europe’s Hugh Grant’ during a fateful NATO summit in 2018.
What’s happening?
When it comes to security policy and views on Russia, the Nordic countries stand united. That became clear after a joint Nordic edition of the debate programme ’Debatten’ on Wednesday evening, broadcast simultaneously in all the Nordic countries. Calling it a debate might be overstating it, though, as the ministers never got beyond exchanging polite pleasantries. Still, the programme did reveal a few interesting differences – and even a brief glimpse of humour and personality.
Why it matters!
The four Nordic ministers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland agreed that NATO would struggle without the United States at the helm. There is also Nordic agreement that the war in Ukraine will not end because Europe starts negotiating with Russia, but rather by supporting Ukraine more forcefully.
»We won’t get peace by talking to Putin, but by supporting Ukraine, strengthening their negotiating position, and increasing pressure on Russia with sanctions«, said Pål Jonson, Sweden’s defense minister, while Finland’s Adlercreutz called it »unambiguous« that Europe has not supported Ukraine »enough and in time«.
Still curious? Read the full article here.
In other news
– Politiken’s food critic gives six hearts
The dream of the perfect, spontaneous spot to eat, where you can just swing by. A late breakfast, a quick lunch, a couple of small plates and a glass of wine. The discreet corner where they serve fresh oysters all day, the perfect omelet, blackboard specials that change with the mood of the day. Exactly the glass of wine you needed. A place with service that’s warm and knowledgeable, but never overbearing. A place that quietly does its utmost so you can drop your shoulders. This place exists. It’s called Omegn & Venner, it’s in Torvehallerne, and since 2017 it has been run by the married couple Sarah Backer Vangsted and Denny Backer Vangsted,.
Read the full review here.
– Danes eat more than twice as much meat as recommended
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration’s official dietary guidelines recommend eating no more than 350 grams of meat a week. But on average, Danes eat 805 grams of meat a week, a study from DTU Food Institute shows. Pork is the most commonly eaten type of meat and accounts for 44 percent of total meat consumption when fresh meat, processed meat, and cold cuts are all included. Two out of three people have a diet in which higher-fat meat makes up at least 60 percent of their meat intake. The remaining third mainly eats lean meat, meaning meat with less than 10 percent fat, Ritzau reports.
– Two schools were evacuated on Wednesday after bomb threat
Two schools at the Campus Køge educational complex were evacuated on Wednesday after a bomb threat against the site. Thomas Kristensen, communications director for Central and West Zealand Police, told Ritzau. The threat was directed at the vocational school ZBC, which is located on the campus, he said. Police evacuated students from ZBC and Køge Business School, which is also based at Campus Køge, Kristensen said.
Talk of town: An earthquake was felt in several places in Denmark and Sweden
Denmark was struck by an earthquake at 4:14 p.m. on Wednesday, which, according to the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), measured 3.9 on the Richter scale. GEUS said the quake’s epicenter was in Køge Bay, south of Copenhagen. Foreign organizations placed the epicenter farther west, off Bjæverskov.
Several residents in the capital region and elsewhere on Zealand reported Wednesday afternoon that they had felt strong shaking. One of them was Anne Sietske de Boer, who lives in Allerslev, in Lejre. Her first thought was that someone must have been unloading firewood when, at 4:14 p.m., she felt the whole house shake.
»It felt like my house was about to collapse. The house shook, and the doors rattled«, Anne Sietske de Boer says. She lives about 20 kilometers from the quake’s presumed epicenter.
Read the full article here.
This newsletter features stories originally published in Danish. AI was used to shorten and translate the articles into English, after which a member of the editorial staff reviewed and refined the content.