Leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) met in Helsinki on Thursday to reaffirm their commitment to European security, support for Ukraine, pressure on Russia, and joint response to regional challenges. They discussed rising incidents involving foreign drones, stressing urgent investment in detection, interception, and collective response capabilities.
President Alexander Stubb hosted the event, which was attended by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal. Denmark was represented by a member of the foreign ministry. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joined remotely.
The leaders also addressed the Middle East situation, highlighting the importance of maritime security and trade routes essential for prosperity and security. They welcomed JEF’s growth since Oslo 2025 as a flexible tool for dialogue, deterrence and defense in Northern Europe.
Photograph: Matti Porre/The Finnish president’s office
Agreements made, according to the Finnish president’s office, include:
- Strengthening support for Ukraine through ambitious delivery of the JEF/Ukraine enhanced partnership. Leaders acknowledged progress since its Oslo launch last year and committed to expanding operational collaboration. President Zelensky participated remotely to discuss partnership implementation, including Ukrainian units joining the JEF LION exercises later this year and increased exchange on modern warfare tactics and technology.
- Leveraging JEF’s geographical focus on the Arctic, High North, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea to bolster NATO’s northern flank. The Baltic Sea region forms a core geostrategic area of concern. Canada’s Prime Minister joined remotely. Efforts will enhance coordination across this region with attention to NATO posture development and burden sharing. The JEF LION exercises will further showcase this operating model.
- Increasing deterrence and peacetime activity by ensuring quick crisis response alongside NATO against threats below Article 5 thresholds. Efforts will counter hybrid warfare—including Russia’s shadow fleet—through shared best practices and harmonized planning with NATO vigilance activities ensuring aligned responses across members.
