The Defense Ministers of the JEF granted Ukraine the status of "enhanced partner", contributing to strengthening security in Northern Europe and in the Baltic states.

The Defense Ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) met in Norway with their Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal, granting Ukraine the status of 'enhanced partner'. This decision is considered an important step in strengthening security in the Northern Europe regions and in the Baltic countries, sending a clear message to Vladimir Putin and potential aggressors, according to British Defense Minister John Healey. JEF, established in 2014, includes countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands, most of which are also NATO members.

The partnership aims to learn from Ukraine's experience in the war against Russia, providing training for Ukrainian armed forces and collaborating in areas such as submarine infrastructure defense and drone development. The Ukrainian Defense Minister emphasized the importance of access to European technologies to ensure joint production of modern weaponry, which will contribute to Europe's long-term security. This meeting took place after the conclusion of Operation TARASSIS, the largest JEF deployment, which involved over 1,700 British and allied troops.