Ukraine has proposed deeper defence technology cooperation with the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, including the use of Ukrainian drone, counter-drone and battlefield sensing technology across the Baltic and North Atlantic regions, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Evgeniy Khmara set out the proposals during an address to a meeting of JEF countries, arguing that Ukraine’s experience of countering drones and other threats during the war with Russia could be applied directly to security challenges faced by the ten-member grouping.
The areas identified include counter-UAS operations, protection of critical undersea infrastructure, responses to hybrid threats and efforts to counter Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, all of which have become increasingly prominent areas of activity for the JEF.
According to a news update from Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, Khmara said: “Ukraine is ready to build a mutually beneficial partnership with you. We need it. So does the security of our region. And of the entire continent. Our shared future lies in this partnership.”
Ukraine said its existing battlefield technologies include mass-produced low-cost interceptor drones, detection systems and systems able to combine information from multiple sources into a common real-time air picture.
Khmara said: “We see how Russia uses drones for reconnaissance, sabotage and strikes on infrastructure. And we have already built solutions that work in real combat.”
The Ukrainian government argues that those technologies and the operational experience developed around them could be applied to the Baltic Sea and other areas covered by the JEF, particularly where participating countries are seeking ways to detect and respond to drones while protecting maritime infrastructure. Kyiv is proposing to expand the relationship through several existing cooperation models, including Drone Deal arrangements, Train with Ukraine and Build with Ukraine.
The Drone Deal initiative is intended to allow Ukraine to export drone technologies developed and refined during the war, while Build with Ukraine covers joint production arrangements for drones and counter-drone equipment. Ukraine said a number of those manufacturing projects are already under way with JEF member countries.
Train with Ukraine is intended to transfer operational experience gained by Ukrainian forces to partner militaries, giving allied personnel access to lessons developed during large-scale combat operations. The Joint Expeditionary Force was established under UK leadership in 2015 and comprises Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Its geographical focus covers Northern Europe, including the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic regions. In recent years its work has increasingly included the protection of critical maritime infrastructure and responses to hybrid activity alongside more conventional military exercises.
Ukraine became an Enhanced Partner of the JEF in 2025 after Ukrainian representatives attended a meeting of JEF defence ministers for the first time. The arrangement provides a framework for closer cooperation without Ukraine becoming one of the ten full JEF participant nations. The latest proposals would expand that relationship into the development, production and use of military technology, with Kyiv seeking to connect systems already being used by Ukrainian forces with the requirements of Northern European militaries.
