Statement by President von der Leyen with Prime Minister Frederiksen on the occasion of the College visit to the Danish Presidency

European Commission - Statement Statement by President von der Leyen with Prime Minister Frederiksen on the occasion of the College visit to the Danish Presidency Aarhus, 3 July 2025 Dear Mette, Thank you for your warm welcome. It is my first time here in Aarhus. I have been looking forward to visiting the ‘City of Smiles.' So thank you for hosting us here at the start of your Presidency. I have always admired Denmark's fast and focused approach. You know how to get things done. And that is exactly the kind of spirit that we need right now. Let me focus on five topics. First, defence. Denmark knows what it means to stay alert. Faced with Baltic tensions and Arctic competition, you have steadily ramped up your capabilities. It is no coincidence that I presented our Readiness 2030 strategy at the Royal Danish Military Academy in March. Now, I count on you to help deliver it. We have already started working on the Roadmap for Readiness for the European Council of October. It is about how we invest. For this, we will identify the capability gaps and work with Member States on common European projects for joint procurement. Defence readiness is not just about how much we spend. It is a lot about how we spend it. On defence, the Danish Presidency will play a central role. You will ensure the implementation of SAFE, our EUR 150 billion joint procurement investment programme. Going forward, this means that Member States should provide an estimate of their needs by the end...