"We are in a very, very critical period in world history," warns Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Copenhagen after Denmark announced it will allocate an extra $7 billion for defence spending over the next two years, citing an increasing threat from Russia. "We know that Russia has the capability, if the Ukraine war ends in a non-successful way, to attack neighbouring countries and even NATO countries within a few years", adds the former prime minister, "that is something we have to respond to". SOUNDBITES