Northern Europe Offers Ukraine an Enhanced Partnership
The Nordic countries that are part of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) initiative have invited Ukraine to an expanded partnership.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to the Norwegian government.
Continued support for Ukraine was a central theme of the JEF summit. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in some parts of the meeting at Oslo City Hall digitally.
‘We agree to invite Ukraine to an expanded partnership in the Joint Expeditionary Force. Russia's war against Ukraine has plunged Europe into the most serious security situation since the Second World War. Our support for Ukraine remains unwavering. We also have much to learn from the Ukrainian experience in this war. It is also important for security and stability in our corner of Europe that Ukraine becomes more closely linked to the JEF,’ said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The nations also agree that the JEF should strengthen its work to better coordinate and cooperate with NATO.
‘The JEF countries have unique expertise and will support NATO in areas we know well. The Baltic Sea, the High North and the North Atlantic are our region. The JEF is an arena for practical cooperation, shared understanding and exchange of experience that can help strengthen the defence and preparedness of both NATO and individual nations,’ says Støre.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is interested in expanding cooperation with the countries of the Joint Expeditionary Force and in becoming a full member of this initiative.
The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a coalition established in 2014 and led by the United Kingdom, which includes Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, the Baltic States and the Netherlands. The coalition focuses on maintaining security in the Baltic Sea, the North Atlantic and the High North.
In January 2025, these countries launched enhanced monitoring of subsea infrastructure following the suspected damage to the Estlink-2 submarine power line and several submarine communication cables in the Gulf of Finland on 25 December 2024. This activity complements national and NATO activities.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the Nordic and Baltic countries will provide training and equipment for a Ukrainian unit in 2025 as part of their military support for Ukraine.