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full screenEstonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal at a JEF meeting in Tallinn last December. Archive image. Photo: Leon Neal/AP-TT
The British-led rapid response force JEF is taking steps to increase vigilance and presence in the Baltic Sea.
“Together with our allied neighboring countries, we are strengthening security in the immediate area and will continue to work for partly strengthened deterrence, partly increased resilience to respond to threats to our critical underwater infrastructure,” says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) according to a press release.
JEF (Joint expeditionary force) includes Nordic and Baltic countries as well as Great Britain and the Netherlands. The idea is that the countries should be able to quickly assemble a force if a crisis arises in northern Europe. Sweden has been a member of JEF since 2017.
The countries practice together, but only a few sharp efforts have been made. The last time the JEF countries patrolled the Baltic Sea to protect submarine cables was in 2023.
“This is the second time JEF has taken the initiative to increase vigilance and presence in areas with critical underwater infrastructure in Sweden’s immediate area,” says the press release about the new commitment.