ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said that his country is ready to become a full member of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a UK-led military coalition of northern European nations.

In a video address to the JEF summit in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the enhanced partnership status given to Kyiv in November of last year and stated that this status already opens the door to further practical cooperation.

“We are ready to move forward, bringing our experience and capabilities to make the JEF community even stronger. And our goal is simple and clear -- Ukraine is ready to become a full-fledged member of the JEF,” he said.

Zelenskyy said that they need to come together and strengthen their shared experience so that they can be strong in terms of “every area,” including infrastructure, energy, and cyberspace.

He further described air defense as a “top priority,” arguing Europe must have “full capacity” to produce all types of air defense systems and corresponding missiles.

“This includes protection against drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic threats. And we cannot rely on other partners’ industries. We must be confident in our own industry here in Europe,” he added.

The JEF's members include Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK, and it focuses on rapid military cooperation outside of NATO's collective defense mechanisms.