Denmark votes on closer EU defence ties on Russia concerns

FILE PHOTO: Soldiers march during a celebration of UN's 75th anniversary and and a wreath laying ceremony at Kastellet in Copenhagen, Denmark October 24, 2020. Ritzau Scanpix/Olafur Steinar Gestsson via REUTERS/File Photo

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Danes vote on Wednesday to decide whether to join the European Union's defence policy, potentially becoming the final hold-out in the bloc to sign up as Russia's invasion of Ukraine forces countries to radically reassess their security.

Denmark is the only member of the 27 nation bloc not in the Common Security and Defence Policy, having secured exemptions from it and the euro currency in a 1993 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, which laid the groundwork for the modern EU.