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Sweden and Finland call the Unity List's idea of a Nordic alternative to NATO unrealistic | Politics | DR Nordic defense co-operation is not a realistic alternative to NATO membership, according to the Nordic defense ministers. The Unity List is against armaments and is working for a Danish withdrawal from. But what is really needed for a Danish exit is for debate and voting at the party's annual meeting today. instead, work to create an alternative to .In recent months, several prominent party members have argued that a Danish withdrawal could possibly be replaced by strengthened Nordic defense co-operation. For example, main board member Pelle Dragsted wrote the following on Twitter at the beginning of the year: then have Denmark out of. And instead of building a Nordic defense co-operation, it sounded on 5 January from Pelle Dragsted, who has been a member of parliament for the party and today is a municipal politician in Frederiksberg. alternative to the Danish membership. -exit is not right on the stairs. But he stated that the line of the party is unchanged despite the Russian in Ukraine.- The Unity List has always believed that we should have a different security system in the world and must get out. It is a long-term goal, and therefore we have previously also pointed to the alternative to - for example, through closer Nordic defense co-operation, he said on March 8. But the plans to replace the membership with a strengthened Nordic defense co-operation are unrealistic. from both the Finnish and Swedish Ministers of Defense in interviews with at a time when the two countries are just moving closer and closer to a full membership of .- I am a big supporter of Nordic co-operation. We in Sweden support this, and we will continue to support it. But I think it is an unrealistic point of view to only have Nordic co-operation, says the Social Democratic Swedish Minister of Defense, Peter Hultqvist, to. This is a Danish discussion, but from our perspective it is not realistic. Peter Hultqvist, Sweden's Minister of Defense Finnish Minister of Defense, Antti Kaikkonen, from the Finnish Center Party calls for strengthened Nordic defense co-operation with thoughts of their Russian neighbors.- Nordic co-operation is important and good, but it is not a realistic alternative to membership that is so much different. But it is a Danish domestic policy discussion, and it is good that we have free space for debate, says the Minister of Defense from the Finnish Center Party. discussed how the countries should strengthen co-operation - also considering that Finland and Sweden in particular can be stumbling close to a membership. Nordic defense co-operation outside is the way forward. the other Nordic countries on defense. They have exercises together, exchange knowledge and surveillance images and work on a common military airspace. "We fight militarism and work for Danish withdrawal from NATO. We are in favor of the Danish military being closed down and replaced by a much smaller organization that can stand for any Danish contribution to peacekeeping UN operations. "When the Unity List today concludes the party's three-day annual meeting in Hafnia-Hallen in Valby, it will be with a debate and vote on the party's policy. In recent months, party comrades have had a difficult time. by finding common ground on the line, and political opponents have used the Unity List's wavering in the time after Russia's invasion of Ukraine to point fingers at the party. to change course towards .- Denmark must not opt out now, because there is no alternative, he says to. Conversely, forces in pa rtiet's powerful main board proposes to keep the clear exit policy - even if there is no alternative, it sounds from main board member and parliamentary candidate in North Jutland Astrid Vang Hansen: - It is an organization that should be closed down, and I feel that way with all our policy, that I would rather have implemented it tomorrow than the day after tomorrow, she says. Regardless of where the annual meeting vote ends today, it is not realistic to get Denmark out of now, defense spokesman Peder Hvelplund admits. At the same time, he acknowledges that strengthened Nordic defense co-operation is therefore not on the right track. - It is difficult to see within 10 years. In the current situation, it makes no sense. We also expect Finland and Sweden to apply for membership in a very short time. But the debate we will have to continue to take, he says. It is a debate that is constantly evolving. There will also be forces in Finland and Sweden that share the view we have in the Unity List. Peder Hvelplund, Unity List's defense spokesman .- In the current situation, it is not relevant to raise a request for withdrawal of. That's what guarantees safety right now. But there are a number of issues in relation to, and therefore we will have to discuss how we get a new security structure.