Ukraine ready for full membership in Joint Expeditionary Force – Zelensky
He made the remarks in his address to the JEF leaders' summit in Helsinki, according to Ukrinform.
Zelensky expressed gratitude for the enhanced partner status Ukraine received in Oslo, noting that it already enables practical cooperation, including participation in exercises such as TARASSIS.
"We are ready to move forward, bringing our experience and capabilities to make the JEF community even stronger. And our goal is simple and clear – Ukraine is ready to become a full-fledged member of the JEF," Zelensky said.
He also called on European countries to increase pressure on Russia amid uncertainty in global oil and gas markets, particularly by preventing the use of shadow fleet tankers to circumvent international law.
"Oil and gas markets are very, very uncertain now. But we must not let Russia take advantage of this. We all know that for Russia, money from oil and gas means more time for war. Putin turns every dollar he earns into killing and destabilization. So please, keep the pressure on Russia. Its tankers and shadow fleet must not feel safe in European waters," Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president thanked Denmark, Sweden, and France for detaining shadow fleet vessels.
"[This is] a clear demonstration that enforcement is not only possible, but effective. Now we must go further. These tankers must not just be stopped – they must not be used to bypass international law. We need joint action to create strong laws in Europe that allow countries to block Russian tankers and confiscate the oil. This should be a real tool to take away Russia's ability to pressure Europe," he said.
In November 2025, Ukraine was granted enhanced partnership status in the Joint Expeditionary Force, a UK-led coalition of ten Northern European countries, including Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
