Ukraine has received the status of "Enhanced Partnership" with the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). The memorandum was signed by the defense ministers of the JEF member countries during a meeting in Norway, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reports.
The Head of the Defence Ministry, Denys Shmyhal, took part in the event and noted that Ukraine's contribution is possible not only through joint exercises, but also through innovative partnerships and cooperation in the defense industry.
Shmyhal also stated that Ukraine is ready to share experience in countering hybrid aggression, using air defense forces, using drones, protecting national infrastructure, and conducting long-range strikes.
"Ukraine has the capacity to strengthen JEF. For the first time, a non-member country has been awarded the status of 'Enhanced Partnership'. Ukraine is prepared to contribute to the pursuit of our shared objectives," said Denys Shmyhal.
In addition, it is planned to participate in joint exercises by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to achieve full interoperability and readiness to act jointly in crisis situations.
At the same time, Ukraine expects partners to have access to European technologies and production capacities, on the basis of which it is possible to establish joint production.
According to open sources, the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a coalition created by the United Kingdom in 2015 with the participation of nine other Northern European countries: Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway.
JEFs are capable of operating independently, but can also be deployed in support of NATO or other joint projects, for example, as part of UN peacekeeping forces.