Her words sound like a refrain echoing across many corners of Ukraine — in Sumy, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia, and Geneva. Yes,…
The Memorandum on expanding the partnership between Ukraine and the JEF was signed by the defense ministers of JEF member states. For the first time, such a status has been granted to a nation that is not a member of the alliance.
This was announced by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal.
“I am grateful to the Minister of Defense of Norway, Tore Sandvik, and the Minister of Defense of the United Kingdom, John Healey, for the invitation. Thanks to the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine is for the first time represented at the meeting of JEF defense ministers — a historic moment”, — said the Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a coalition established by the United Kingdom in 2015, joined by nine other Northern European nations: Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway.
Ukraine is capable of strengthening the JEF. We will share our expertise in countering hybrid aggression, air defense operations, the use of drones, the protection of national infrastructure, and conducting long-range strikes.
“We plan for the participation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in joint exercises to achieve full interoperability and readiness to act together in crisis situations”, — the statement by the head of the defense ministry reads.
Ukraine stands ready to continue contributing to shared goals — through joint exercises, innovative partnerships, and cooperation in the defense industry. In turn, Ukraine expects access to European technologies and production capacities, which would enable the establishment of joint manufacturing.
“I am grateful to Norway for organizing today’s meeting, to the United Kingdom for its continued leadership, and to all JEF members for their steadfast support and commitment to our shared goal. Together, we can deter aggression, protect our people, and ensure a peaceful, stable Europe for future generations”, — said Denys Shmyhal.
