Great Britain offered a “nuclear umbrella” to JEF countries

The UK has proposed extending its nuclear deterrent to the countries of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). According to Finnish media, the agreement could be signed as early as November.

This is reported by the Finnish public broadcaster Yle, citing Iltalehti.

The proposal was confirmed by the Chief of Staff of the Royal Navy, General Gwyn Jenkins, and was also announced by the Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Finnish Parliament, Heikki Auto.

According to Finnish media, the new mechanism involves extending Britain’s national nuclear deterrent to other JEF states. British nuclear submarines are to play a key role in it.

This is a separate mechanism for cooperation between JEF countries, and not just nuclear deterrence within NATO.

It is expected that participating countries can formalize relevant arrangements at the JEF meeting in Oslo in November 2026.

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) comprises the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland and Sweden. The JEF is designed to respond rapidly to security crises and can operate independently or in coordination with NATO.

Ukraine is not a member of the JEF, but in 2025 it received the status of an expanded partner. This allows the Ukrainian side to participate in the association’s events, planning, and operational meetings.

At the same time, reports about the British “nuclear umbrella” do not mention the automatic extension of this mechanism to Ukraine.

As a reminder, earlier “Pryamiy” wrote about the expansion of defense cooperation between the UK and the EU within the framework of the Ukraine support program. British defense companies have gained access to relevant contracts.

Also previously discussed in Europe was the role of nuclear powers – Great Britain and France – in future security guarantees on the continent.

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