TALLINN, Estonia (CHATNEWSTV) – Member nations of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) on Wednesday underscored their commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and countering hybrid threats in the Nordic-Baltic region, warning that Russia remains “the most significant, direct, and long-term threat” to European peace and stability.
In a joint statement recalling the December 2024 leaders’ summit in Tallinn, the group said the deteriorating security environment—exacerbated by incidents such as damaged undersea cables and hybrid attacks—demands tighter cooperation and readiness.
“We are facing a complex threat landscape,” the leaders said, pointing to the “weaponization of migration, disinformation, and sabotage of critical infrastructure” as urgent security challenges.
The December summit came just days before the oil tanker Eagle S, believed to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet, caused damage to the Estlink2 underwater cable between Estonia and Finland. A similar incident struck a cable between Latvia and Sweden the following month.
In response, the JEF activated an advanced UK-led monitoring system to protect undersea infrastructure—one of its most tangible steps yet toward real-time threat detection.
“Protecting our seabed infrastructure is no longer theoretical,” one JEF official said on condition of anonymity. “We are dealing with real sabotage and must act preemptively.”
Over the past year, JEF conducted three major exercises—Nordic Warden, Global Guardian, and Joint Protector—designed to build operational cohesion among member forces. In Latvia, troops trained against a wide range of hybrid threats, including cyberattacks and covert infiltration.
“These drills give us a shared playbook and test our ability to respond quickly and together,” said a senior Estonian defence official involved in the exercises.
The JEF, composed of 10 like-minded northern European nations including the UK, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, and Finland, has increasingly positioned itself as a first responder alliance for crises short of war.
“Russia will likely test NATO and other alliances’ readiness in the years to come,” the group warned. “JEF must remain agile, integrated, and interoperable—especially with NATO’s regional plans—if we want to maintain credible deterrence.”
The members argued that JEF’s flexible command structure, deep regional understanding, and hybrid threat focus make it an indispensable complement to NATO. But they also called for tighter alignment with the alliance to avoid duplication and increase deterrent strength.
“In today’s turbulent security environment, alliances like JEF are more vital than ever,” the statement concluded. “Our forces must train together, understand one another’s strengths, and prepare for the threats of tomorrow—starting now.”
