What are the terms of the agreement between Russia and Denmark on the militarization of Bornholm?

Question

In a Danish newspaper article it is mentioned that the Russian ambassador implies that there is a treaty regarding troops on Bornholm. The Danish government denies this. What is the article referring to?

Answer 1

The article seems to be referring to assurances made by the Danish government to the Soviet government in 1946 in return for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the island of Bornholm. This was not a signed treaty, but more of a 'gentleman's agreement' that Denmark was capable of defending the island without requiring foreign support. The State Department has a record of a telegram sent from the Chargé in Denmark to the Secretary of State which describes a statement given by Danish Foreign Minister Gustav Rasmussen:

Immediately after the occupation, the Russian Government made a declaration that the occupation was temporary. The occupation took place in connection with the termination of hostilities and the Russian commander-in-chief declared that it was necessary in order to neutralize the German troops in the island and that it would be continued only until the problems in connection with the fighting in Germany had been solved.
[...]
On March 7, the Russian Minister in Copenhagen, Mr. Plakhin, called upon me to state that if the Danish government was able to send Danish troops to Bornholm immediately to take over its administration without any foreign participation, the Soviet government would immediately withdraw its troops from Bornholm and leave the island to the Danish government. The Danish Legation in Moscow simultaneously sent us a note to the same effect and on the same day we informed Mr. Plakhin and the Legation in Moscow that we were prepared to send Danish troops to Bornholm. The result was that the evacuation has now begun.

In response to various questions the Foreign Minister stated that the Russian authorities had not at any time interfered with the Danish administration and that in withdrawing the Russians have stipulated no conditions except that they desire a Danish administration without any foreign participation.

Until 1985, Denmark stuck strictly to this agreement - even blocking a US military band from performing on the island in 1982 because they would have been flown in by US military jets. However, in 1985, the Defense Ministry reversed its position, referring to the previous decision as "the result of complications and misunderstandings":

It was thought that in 1946, Denmark pledged to the Soviets not to allow any soldiers except Danes on Bornholm. That was when Soviet troops withdrew from the island after a one-year occupation that followed five years of World War II occupation by Nazi troops.

Ever since, despite Denmark’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Danish governments scrupulously guarded against anything that might upset the Soviets in view of the island’s location.

But following the ministry decision in 1982 that even a military brass band at a cattle show could jeopardize relations with the Soviet Union, doubts arose about the pledge, described by then-Defense Minister Poul Soegaard as ″a gentleman’s agreement.″

All that military historians managed to dig up was an assurance to the Soviet Union that Denmark was capable of defending the island with Danish troops after the Soviet withdrawal. [...]

[Former Defense Minister Soegaard] said the reservation about the presence of a foreign military aircraft could hardly be relevant now, considering that non-Danish NATO planes have touched down in Bornholm several times during Baltic operations over the last few years without repercussions.