Joint Statement from Defence Ministers of the Joint Expeditionary Force: 02 October 2026
Defence ministers from the Joint Expeditionary Force and allies met in Iceland to strengthen security ties, deepen Ukraine cooperation, and discuss Canada’s potential membership.
Defence Ministers from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) and allied nations convened at Keflavik Air Base in Iceland to advance the JEF’s role in European and Euro-Atlantic security. The meeting reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine, highlighting the JEF-Ukraine Enhanced Partnership established in 2025 to bolster collective security through deeper cooperation and joint exercises.
Ukraine participated for the first time in the JEF’s Lion Protector exercise this year, with Ukrainian mine countermeasure vessels integrating alongside JEF forces to enhance interoperability. Defence Ministers agreed to further deepen Ukraine’s involvement in JEF activities while reaffirming the Baltic Sea, High North, and North Atlantic as the JEF’s core strategic areas of interest.
Canadian Defence Minister McGuinty joined discussions on deepening JEF-Canada cooperation, including Canada’s application to join the JEF Framework. Ministers advanced a shared recommendation on Canadian membership and aligned the JEF’s policy direction with a common framework for partner engagement, while reviewing the Lion Protector series linked to the UK’s Carrier Strike Group.
Ministers addressed Russia’s hybrid activities against JEF and NATO nations, committing to strengthen collective preparedness and common approaches. They also reviewed progress on defence industrial cooperation, the JEF’s five-year programme, and its role below NATO’s Article V threshold, directing further work to demonstrate its contributions to Euro-Atlantic security ahead of the next JEF Leaders’ Summit in Reykjavik.