On 26 March, at the high-level meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) countries held in Helsinki, the member states reaffirmed their continued commitment to supporting Ukraine, exerting pressure on Russia, and strengthening European security, from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic.
Photo: Jürgen Randma
The JEF summit focused on ongoing support for Ukraine and enhancing cooperation. “Assisting Ukraine is a two-way street. We provide financial and military support, while they, in turn, contribute with the world’s most advanced technology in counter-drone operations – which is critically needed at this time,” stated Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
Photo: Jürgen Randma
The Joint Expeditionary Force is a UK-led defence cooperation format, which also includes Estonia, Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.
The main purpose of JEF is to act as a rapid reaction force capable of addressing crises before NATO’s Article 5 is invoked. The member states are united by their readiness to contribute swiftly and flexibly to a wide range of operations, from humanitarian crises to military missions. The crisis response measures developed within JEF complement NATO activities.
The full text of the joint statement from the Helsinki JEF summit is available here: https://www.presidentti.fi/en/jef-helsinki/