Ukraine has officially joined the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in a special format — as an enhanced partner. This is a precedent: until now, only the 10 founding countries took part in JEF, and Ukraine became the first state from outside the alliance to be invited in this capacity.
Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal (he now oversees the defense bloc in the government) said Ukraine was invited thanks to the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky and that Kyiv is ready not just to receive support, but to strengthen JEF with its own combat experience.
What is JEF at all?
JEF (Joint Expeditionary Force) is a UK-initiated defense format that unites 10 northern European countries: the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Its task is to react quickly to crises in the Baltic and North Seas, the Arctic and the North Atlantic — that is, in the exact region where Russia tries to pressure NATO countries. JEF works outside NATO, but doesn’t contradict it — it’s a faster, more flexible “regional fist.”
What Ukraine gets
Being an “enhanced partner” is more than just an invitation to meetings. The format opens several practical doors:
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Joint exercises with JEF forces. Ukraine wants its Armed Forces to train with northern European militaries to reach interoperability — so that units can act together in real operations.
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Exchange of experience and intelligence. Kyiv publicly promised to share what it knows best now: countering hybrid attacks, drone warfare, protection of energy and critical infrastructure, and long-range strikes.
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Defense-industrial cooperation. Shmyhal directly said Ukraine counts on access to European technologies and production sites to launch joint projects — this is in line with the broader program “Build with Ukraine,” which is now opening Ukrainian defense offices in Europe.
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A political signal. If 10 stable European states plus the UK are ready to integrate Ukraine into their rapid-reaction format, it means they see Ukraine as a security donor, not only a recipient.
What JEF gets from Ukraine
This is not a one-way story. Ukraine brings something no one else in Europe has right now — fresh, large-scale combat experience against Russia:
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how to shoot down and evade massive missile/FPV/shahed attacks;
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how to keep the power system running under strikes;
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how to use drones as a standard tool of war, not an exception;
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how to protect ports and maritime routes (relevant for the Baltic and Black Sea).
That’s why Shmyhal said Ukraine is ready “to strengthen JEF’s potential,” not just learn from it.
How this ties in with PURL and other formats
At the same time, Ukraine is working with NATO on the PURL mechanism — when allies pool money, and the US quickly buys the exact weapons Kyiv has put on its priority list. JEF is another piece of the same puzzle: rapid, regional, practical support plus gradual integration of Ukraine into European security structures.
So, in simple terms:
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PURL = fast weapons through NATO;
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JEF = fast military interaction with northern Europe;
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defense offices in Berlin and Copenhagen = fast entry of Ukrainian weapons to EU markets.
All of this together moves Ukraine from the “help us” position to the “we are part of your security system” position.
Why this matters now
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it shows trust from European capitals;
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it secures a seat for Ukraine in a format that is focused exactly on the region where Russia is most active;
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it prepares the Armed Forces for joint actions with European militaries — not sometime “after the war,” but already now.
Shmyhal summed it up clearly: Ukraine will train, share technology, and in return wants deeper industrial cooperation. That’s a very pragmatic deal — and a rare case when Ukraine was let into a closed defense club first.
