Joint Expeditionary Force ministers announce major air defense package for Ukraine

Europe, News June 16, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) announced an air defense package for Ukraine worth $115 million. The package was announced during the defense ministers meeting in Amsterdam on June 13, 2023.

Defense ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, met in Amsterdam to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

According to the joint statement, the defense ministers reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to supporting the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s attack. The ministers said that their countries stand with Ukraine to support its right to be a sovereign, independent, and democratic nation.

The UK government announced that the JEF partners would jointly provide air defense equipment to Ukraine worth $115 million. The equipment would be sent to Kyiv under the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU).

The statement added that the delivery of the new air defense systems would be completed within the next few months and it would “bolster Ukraine’s ability to protect its critical national infrastructure, civilian population, and front-line personnel.”

A major air defence package for Ukraine was announced at a meeting of the @JEFnations defence ministers. The £92m air defence package is being provided through the International Fund for #Ukraine (IFU).

More here: https://t.co/A8uc8rS2Q2 #JEFtogether #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 #JEF https://t.co/5quXwWH94A
— The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) (@JEFnations) June 14, 2023

The UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said, “The Joint Expeditionary Force brings together like-minded nations committed to preserving security and stability in Northern Europe, and providing ongoing support for Ukraine.”

Wallace added that “The UK has contributed a further £250 million to the International Fund for Ukraine and, with allies and partners, through the fund we are providing a package of air defense to help Ukraine protect their critical national infrastructure and defend against indiscriminate Russian air strikes.”

The United Kingdom separately announced an additional $315 million contribution to the IFU, which would be focused on providing military aid to Ukraine. Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and Lithuania have also agreed to contribute to the military aid package. Together the JEF nations would contribute more than $650 million to the IFU.

Joint Expeditionary Force

The JEF is a British-led defense alliance of several European countries that aims to strengthen security and stability in the regions of the High North, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea regions. JEF has become more active amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the recent meeting, the JEF defense minister also vowed to strengthen the sharing of tactical intelligence with each other.

According to the JEF statement, the “participant nations, along with our Allies and partners, are responding decisively to provide military and humanitarian assistance, at pace, to ensure Ukraine is best able to defend itself, and will continue to do so as long as it takes.”

Dutch Defense Minister and the host of the event Kajsa Ollongren stressed strengthening mutual defense cooperation. “We know since the attack on Nord Stream, that our critical infrastructure is vulnerable and needs to be protected”, he said following the meeting.

Ollongren added that “We need to cooperate with the private sector, with coastguards, we need to share intelligence and capabilities, that’s the best way to deter any actor thinking of undersea sabotage. We can’t do it ourselves, (we) have to involve other countries.”