The referendum's final results on Wednesday indicate that Denmark will join the European Union's defense strategy, marking the latest shift among Nordic countries to strengthen defense links in reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Denmark is the only EU member not participating in the organization's defense and security strategy. This is the first time a government has successfully eliminated one of the several exemptions gained in a 1993 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty.

Almost 67 percent of respondents voted in favor of removing an opt-out from the EU's so-called Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), the highest level of support ever recorded in a Danish referendum on an EU issue.

Approximately 33 percent of respondents were opposed.

Those in favor of increased EU cooperation won the vote to eliminate the opt-out. At the same time, those opposed said that the EU's defense treaty is burdened by bureaucracy and that Denmark's participation in EU military missions will be too expensive.

"We have delivered a signal to our NATO and European friends. And we have sent (Russian President Vladimir) Putin a clear message, "Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated on Wednesday night after the majority of ballots had been tallied.

"When Putin invades a free and independent country, when Putin threatens peace and stability, we all move closer together," Frederiksen added.

Although the verdict will not have significant practical repercussions for the European Union, it will be seen favorably in Brussels, according to Christine Nissen, a Danish Institute of International Studies researcher.

Nissen told Reuters, "It is part of a general trend right now, where countries are moving closer together,"

Sweden and Finland have opted to apply for NATO membership this month, while Denmark and Germany have already pledged to increase defense spending significantly.

Denmark is a founding member of NATO, but the most significant military force in the alliance, the United States, has signaled that European partners must assume increasing responsibility for their security.

"The United States has made its position plain. I believe it makes more sense to be a part of this cooperation than always to wait for the United States to arrive, " stated the head of the Conservative People's Party, Soren Pape Poulsen.

Denmark could participate in joint military operations, such as those in Somalia, Mali, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and collaborate on developing combined military capabilities as part of the CSDP.