A UK-led defence initiative of 10 northern European countries expressed support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “Victory Plan” to defeat Russia at a meeting in Tallinn on Tuesday.
“We reaffirmed our unwavering and longstanding support for a sovereign Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes,” a statement by the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) said, after a meeting of the format’s heads of state and government in Estonia’s capital.
“We supported the underlying principles of the Victory Plan proposed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and are working with Ukraine to contribute to its implementation,” it added.
The plan includes a demand for an invitation to join the Western military alliance NATO before the end of the war. In addition, Ukraine is to be massively rearmed and Russia is to be subjected to stronger sanctions.
Apart from Britain, the JEF draws in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands. All are members of NATO.
The Baltic States and the Nordic countries have been among the staunchest backers of Ukraine in warding off the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
(L-R) Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer take part in the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Leaders’ Summit in Tallinn. Starmer is attending the defense summit in Estonia during a two-day trip to Northern Europe. Leon Neal/PA Wire/dpa
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Publish date : 2024-12-17 07:57:00
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