Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Thursday he discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart ways to prevent incidents involving drones entering neighbouring countries’ airspace during the war.

“We discussed the latest incidents in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia with Ukraine’s defence minister. We talked about a possible cooperation to ensure such incidents, caused by Russia, do not occur or are minimised as much as possible,” Kaunas, currently in Ukraine, said.

“We are all well aware that Ukraine is defending itself, that it is under attack by Russia. There would be no such incidents if Putin stopped the war today. He can do it, but he does not,” he added.

Kaunas also said he sees significant progress in defence industry cooperation between Lithuania and Ukraine.

“I think we have made significant progress, although this is an ongoing process. Ukraine’s defence industry is developing extremely rapidly. This allows Kyiv to defend itself effectively while also producing technologies sought by countries including Lithuania,” the minister said.

“We discussed this with the minister and I believe we have found the right ways to move forward and cooperate effectively in this area,” he added.

As reported, on Monday night, a drone flew from Belarusian direction to Lithuania and crashed in ice-covered Lake Lavysas in Varėna district, located 10 km southwest of Varėna city and surrounded by the Dainava Forest, in a remote area with few permanent residents.

The military said the flying object was not detected by radars. Security services learned about the incident on Monday afternoon.

A military representative said explosives were not discovered, but this does not mean the unmanned aerial vehicle was not carrying any.

Meanwhile, according to foreign media, on Wednesday night a drone entered Latvian airspace from Russia, and an explosion-like sound was recorded by early warning systems in the eastern part of the country.

On Wednesday morning, a drone crossed into Estonia from Russia and hit a chimney of Auvere power plant.

According to reports, at the time of these incidents Ukraine was attacking Russia’s Ust-Luga port on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – A well-known Lithuanian business figure, Giedrius Klimkevičius, has been arrested in France on suspicion of theft from a hotel-restaurant under renovation, Delfi reported Thursday, citing French media.

Klimkevičius last year bought the Chateau de Castel Novel castle in the town of Varetz, in the French region of Correze.

Franceinfo.fr reported that he was detained on 20 March. According to the local prosecutor’s office, he is currently being held in Tulle prison after 48 hours in police custody. Francebleu.fr said he was arrested along with several other Lithuanians.

The businessman faces allegations of theft, criminal bankruptcy and improper use of company assets. 

Reports indicate he was detained near the hotel-restaurant while driving a truck with Lithuanian license plates. 

Authorities suspect he attempted to remove the company’s assets, but the prosecutor’s office said a court order scheduled their liquidation at the end of the week.

Due to major financial difficulties, the company entered court-ordered restructuring on 6 March. The case was scheduled to be heard on 20 March, the same day Klimkevičius was detained.

In Lithuania, Klimkevičius owns Pakruojis Manor.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – The Seimas has approved the president’s proposal to reappoint Gediminas Šimkus as the board chairman of Lietuvos bankas (the Bank of Lithuania) until 2031.

Lawmakers backed his second five-year term by secret ballot on Thursday, with 85 votes in favor. Šimkus has led the central bank since April 2021 and previously served on its board.

Šimkus said earlier that, if reappointed as board chairman, he would focus on strengthening the resilience of the financial system, ensuring reliable payment services for residents and businesses, enhancing cybersecurity, and stepping up anti-money laundering efforts. 

He also said the aim would be to attract more foreign financial institutions to Lithuania and expand the range of financial and payment services.

Šimkus’ candidacy was submitted to the Seimas by presidential adviser Vaidas Augustinavičius on behalf of President Gitanas Nausėda, who noted Šimkus’ strong performance during his first term.

The board of the Bank of Lithuania consists of five members, including Šimkus, his deputies Julita Varanauskienė and Vaida Markevičienė, and two other members – former transport minister Marius Skuodis and Evaldas Ruzgys, former head of the Market Infrastructure Department of the Bank of Lithuania. 

Board members are appointed and dismissed by the president for six-year terms on the recommendation of the board chairman.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – Journalistic investigation unit of Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT has reported that former minister of culture Ignotas Adomavičius more than a decade ago was named in a deliberate bankruptcy case of a Klaipėda-based company, whereas hundreds of thousands of euros in loan he had received from the company was transferred to a Russian firm that allegedly has not attempted to recover the money.

Adomavičius served as culture minister just for a week in September 2025, since then becoming an adviser to his indirect relative, MP Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the Nemunas Dawn party.

Based on the report, in 2013, Adomavičius received a EUR 291,000 loan from Jurtinga Shipping, a company based in Klaipėda.

Court documents show that the company was involved in a deliberate bankruptcy case, and it did not demand Adomavičius to repay the full loan. Although he repaid some of the loan, yet the fate of the remaining EUR 191,000 has become a mystery.

In 2015, the remaining loan payable was transferred under an agreement to British company Base Energy Limited for an impressive EUR 1 million. At the time, Russian citizen Maxim Timoshenko was a shareholder of the company and was also actively developing oil and natural gas business in Russia.

Based on the report, Adomavičius effectively became indebted to individuals in Russia.

The available data suggests that Timoshenko visited Lithuania before the transfer of Adomavičius’ loan payable to his company. He travelled from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport to Vilnius on the Boxing Day of 2014.

In 2010, Timoshenko worked at Magnatek Region, a company known for sponsoring political parties, including Vladimir Putin’s United Russia.

The report suggests that Timoshenko is doing business in Kazakhstan following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

When running for Parliament in 2024, Adomavičius did not declare the EUR 191,000 loan payable.

He told journalists that it is not their concern whether he is indebted and gave conflicting information about the loan and debt.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – The Central Electoral Commission (VRK) said on Thursday that the Nemunas Dawn party committed a serious legal violation by renting cars from its leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis and his deputy Daiva Petkevičienė.

The election watchdog said the party breached financial accounting rules by paying nearly EUR 50,000 for the rentals, misusing state budget funds and submitting incorrect financial data.

“There are many details suggesting a lack of transparency. A significant share of expenses was not properly declared, which indicates knowingly incorrect data in the financial statements,” VRK member Petronienė said.

The decision could result in the party losing its state-allocated grant. 

Žemaitaitis and Petkevičienė will also have to return the funds received, amounting to EUR 26,776 and EUR 15,349 respectively.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – Lietuvos bankas published the balance sheet and interest rate data of the monetary financial institutions (MFI) for February 2026, which show that Lithuanian resident (household) deposits increased by EUR 395.4 million, or 1.4%, over the month, and interest rates on new deposits declined by 0.09 percentage points.

Corporate (non-financial corporation) deposits declined by EUR 151. million, or 1.34%, whereas interest rates on new corporate deposits went down by 0.06 percentage points, the central bank said in a statement.

Loans to Lithuanian residents granted by credit institutions grew by EUR 146.5 million, or 0.8%, while interest rates on new loans went up by 0.16 percentage points.

Loans for consumption granted to Lithuanian residents grew by 1.0% over the month, while interest rates on new loans for consumption went up by 0.10 percentage points.

Loans to Lithuanian corporations expanded by EUR 359.4 million, or 2.5%, whereas interest rates on new loans fell by 0.26 percentage points.

Deposits of Lithuanian residents with credit institutions rose by EUR 193.2 million, or 0.4%, over the month. (their annual growth rate2 was 10.4%). Household deposits increased by EUR 395.4 million, or 1.4%, while non-financial corporation deposits went down by EUR 151.0 million, or 1.3% (their annual growth rates stood at 11.7% and 5.8% respectively). At the end of the month, household and non-financial corporation deposits amounted to EUR 28.3 billion and EUR 11.4 billion respectively. In February 2026, general government deposits expanded by 50.9 million, while financial sector3 deposits fell by102.0 million. At the end of the month, these deposits amounted to EUR 6.2 billion and EUR 1.6 billion respectively.

Overnight deposits of Lithuanian households held with credit institutions rose by EUR 375.1 million, or 1.9%, month on month, while those of non-financial corporations declined by EUR 100.2 million, or 1.0%. At the end of the month, the outstanding amounts of overnight deposits of these sectors stood at EUR 20.1 billion and EUR 9.5 billion respectively. Household deposits with agreed maturity held with credit institutions grew by EUR 11.4 million, or 0.1%, while those of non-financial corporations declined by EUR 51.8 million, or 2.9%. At the end of February 2026, the outstanding amounts of these deposits stood at EUR 7.9 billion and EUR 1.8 billion respectively.

Loans granted by credit institutions to Lithuanian residents increased by EUR 508.8 million, or 1.5%, month on month (their annual growth rate was 16.2%). Loans to Lithuanian non-financial corporations and households went up by EUR 359.4 million and EUR 146.5 million, or 2.5% and 0.8%, respectively over the month (their annual growth rates stood at 20.5% and 15.4% respectively). Loans to general government grew by EUR 5.2 million, whereas those to the financial sector declined by EUR 2.3 million. At the end of February 2026, loans to these sectors amounted to EUR 14.8 billion, EUR 18.6 billion, EUR 452.8 million and EUR 1.7 billion respectively.

Loans for house purchase and consumption granted by credit institutions to Lithuanian households grew by EUR 134.8 million and EUR 17.4.7 million, or 0.9% and 1.0% respectively, month on month, whereas loans for other purposes declined by EUR 5.7 million, or 0.4%. At the end of February 2026, the outstanding amounts of those loans stood at EUR 15.4 billion, EUR 1.8 billion and EUR 1.4 billion respectively (see Chart 3), while annual growth rates stood at 14.6%, 29.1% and 8.4%.

Interest rates on new loans granted to households by credit institutions grew by 0.16 percentage points to 5.70%. Interest rates on loans for consumption and other purposes rose by 0.10 and 0.002 percentage points respectively, o while those on loans for house purchase decreased by 0.002 percentage points. In February 2026, interest rates on these loans comprised 8.65%, 8.04% and 3.67% respectively.

Interest rates on new business of household deposits with agreed maturity held with credit institutions decreased by 0.09 percentage points month on month to 1.65%. Interest rates on deposits with agreed maturity of up to 1 month increased by 0.01 percentage points, while interest rates on deposits of 1 to 6 months, 6 months to 1 year, 1 to 2 years and from 2 years onwards went down by 0.02, 0.18, 0.13 and 0.15 percentage points respectively. Interest rates on these deposits comprised 1.51%, 1.54%, 1.84%, 2.04% and 2.57% respectively in February 2026.

Interest rates on new business of loans to non-financial corporations decreased by 0.26 percentage points month on month to 4.37%. Interest rates on new loans up to EUR 1 million and over EUR 1 million decreased by 0.24 and 0.26 percentage points respectively. In February 2026, interest rates on those loans stood at 4.29% and 4.41% respectively.

Interest rates on new non-financial corporation deposits with agreed maturity decreased by 0.06 percentage points month on month to 1.81%. Interest rates on deposits with agreed maturity of up to 1 year and from 1 year onward decreased by 0.16 and 0.02 percentage points respectively. In February 2026, interest rates on these deposits comprised 1.81% and 1.96% respectively (see Chart 7).

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – ELTA Brief provides a concise overview of the key events of Thursday, 26 March, in Lithuania and around the world.

On Thursday, the Seimas rejected a motion by a group of MPs to dismiss Darius Beinoravičius, a member of the Chief Official Ethics Commission (VTEK), who was found to have violated academic ethics. The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said its officers had intercepted a drone carrying cigarettes from Belarus. The Seimas had its final say reappointing Gediminas Šimkus as the board chairman of the Bank of Lithuania for a second five-year term. As the fuel price crisis continues, lawmakers began considering a proposal to cut the CO2 excise duty on fuel, while the Finance Ministry plans to submit a proposal to temporarily lower the excise duty on diesel by EUR 0.06 per litre.

LITHUANIAN POLITICAL NEWS

The Seimas rejected a motion by a group of MPs to dismiss Darius Beinoravičius, who was found to have violated academic ethics, from the Chief Official Ethics Commission (VTEK). During a secret ballot, 39 lawmakers supported the proposal, while four voted against it. At least 71 votes, half of the Parliament, were required for the motion to pass. The request for Beinoravičius’ dismissal over a lack of confidence was submitted to Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas in early March and signed by 35 MPs, mainly from the opposition.

Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas said Education, Science and Sports Minister Raminta Popovienė should not resign. Olekas made the remarks a day after a court ruled that Popovienė’s order to add 10 points to state maturity exam results for school graduates was illegal and contrary to the law. He said the minister had done a good job and that her decision was partly understandable. The Social Democrat added that greater harm could have occurred if hundreds or even thousands of pupils had failed to enroll in educational institutions due to the high passing threshold. Popovienė said she would make the same decision again under the same circumstances.

The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) intercepted a drone carrying cigarettes from Belarus in Šalčininkai district. Officers spotted the drone overnight into Wednesday in the Švedų forest near the Belarusian border and the surrounding areas of the so-called Dieveniškės loop. The drone had crossed from Belarus and was heading deep into Lithuania toward the village of Avietinė, according to the agency. Border guards used anti-drone equipment, causing the drone to crash. Later, two bundles containing 240 packets of NZ Gold cigarettes with Belarusian stamps were recovered near the village of Lobas, along with the drone. Administrative proceedings were launched at the Gintaras Žagunis border checkpoint over the acquisition and transportation of excise goods in violation of the law.

Nemunas Dawn chairman Remigijus Žemaitaitis reiterated that he will continue opposing the Kapčiamiestis training area bill. The lawmaker called for addressing the country’s air defence issues instead of establishing a new training area. After a party presidium on Wednesday, Social Democrat (LSDP) leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius said a Coalition Council meeting will be organised soon to discuss the training area. On Tuesday, seven members of the Nemunas Dawn group voted against the bill at the submission stage, along with three MPs from the group of the Farmers and Greens and Christian Families Union. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė refused to comment on whether she saw continued coalition work with Nemunas Dawn, saying the decision rests with the LSDP.

The Court of Appeal has examined the appeal of MEP Petras Gražulis and his lawyer, Saulius Žentelis, against a EUR 10,000 fine for contempt of LGBTQ persons. Žentelis said his client’s actions were criminalised without grounds, arguing that Gražulis, who grew up in a religious family, had the right not to like people of non-traditional sexual orientation. He added that the statement for which Gražulis was fined was allegedly provoked. The court will hand down its procedural decision in the criminal case on 27 April, nearly a month later. It will clarify whether the former long-time Seimas member was convicted justly. The verdict of the Court of Appeal will take effect immediately.

LITHUANIAN BUSINESS NEWS

The Seimas has approved the president’s proposal to reappoint Gediminas Šimkus as the board chairman of Lietuvos bankas (the Bank of Lithuania) for a second five-year term until 2031. Šimkus has led the central bank since April 2021. Lawmakers backed his second f term by secret ballot, with 85 votes in favour. 

The Finance Ministry has proposed a temporary cut to the fixed component of excise duty on conventional diesel and labelled agricultural diesel until mid-June. The changes are expected to lower consumer fuel prices by around EUR 0.06 per litre, including VAT. Under the proposal, the fixed excise rate on conventional diesel would fall from EUR 500 to EUR 450 per 1,000 litres, while that for agricultural diesel would drop from EUR 60 to EUR 10. The ministry said the reduction is designed so that losses in excise revenue would be offset by higher VAT revenues from diesel sales, meaning the measure would not affect the state budget. On Thursday, the Seimas also decided to consider a proposal to temporarily cut the CO2 component of fuel excise duty from April until the end of June. Democrat Lukas Savickas said a group of MPs submitted the proposal to provide a short-term solution until Government initiatives are adopted.

FOREIGN NEWS

A Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for harming a young woman because of an addictive design of their social media platforms. The companies will have to pay EUR 6 million to compensate for the damage caused to the young woman’s mental health, including USD 3 million in punitive damages. The verdict gives plaintiffs significant legal leverage in more than a thousand similar pending US cases and signals to the entire tech industry that juries are prepared to hold social platform companies accountable for harm caused by the features they create. The verdict was welcomed by the European Union’s technology commissioner, saying the precedent sent a very clear message that online platforms will lead to change and take seriously the risks they pose.

The European Parliament approved measures to establish migrant deportation centres, known as “return hubs,” outside the EU. Lawmakers from right-wing parties joined far-right groups that had previously opposed the measure, while left and centrist parties voted against it. Under the decision, EU countries can now negotiate the deportation of migrants individually or in small coalitions, sending them not to their countries of origin but to facilities yet to be built outside the 27-nation bloc. The vote drew criticism from human rights groups, who warned that it could lead to inhumane treatment of migrants and undermine legal protections. Marta Welander, EU advocacy director for the International Rescue Committee, called it a historic step backwards in the area of refugee rights.

An Israeli airstrike killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced. The minister said Tangsiri was directly responsible for a “terrorist operation” that mined and blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Since the start of joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, Israel has announced the deaths of several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the country’s powerful security chief, Ali Larijani.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States ties its security guarantees to Kyiv to large territorial concessions. According to Zelensky, Washington is demanding that all of Donbas in eastern Ukraine, which Russia has failed to fully occupy in four years of war, be handed over to Moscow. Zelensky also expressed regret that US President Donald Trump, in his view, continues to pursue a strategy of increasing pressure on Ukraine. Last weekend, Ukraine sent a delegation to the United States in an effort to revive the stalled US-brokered peace talks, but the mission has so far produced no tangible results.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – Representatives of small and medium-sized businesses in the capital city rate their economic situation as moderate, giving it 7 out of 10, the latest survey for Darnu Group found. They rate their efficiency at 7.2 as well. 

According to a survey initiated by the real estate developer Darnu Group and conducted by Spinter Research, 37% of small and medium-sized businesses consider process planning and management the least effective part of their operations.

The survey found that these companies also ranked sales (32%) and cost management (27%) among the least effective areas of their operations. A further 21% and 20%, respectively, say they face challenges in logistics and staff management.

According to Mykolas Čiplys, Head of Sales and Rental at Darnu Group, this trend has repeated for the second year in a row, and companies see the greatest potential to improve efficiency and address these challenges in their rented or managed infrastructure.

“The survey confirms what we see every day in our interactions with businesses. For SMEs, the greatest potential to improve efficiency is linked to well-developed infrastructure (logistics, parking, availability of services), highlighted by almost every second business (48%). Also, strategic location (37%) and a modern, functional working environment (34%) are very important for companies in this regard,” says Čiplys.

This, according to him, is not surprising. The survey shows that almost half (49%) of small and medium-sized businesses in Vilnius operate in two or more locations, and the same proportion work in premises built before 2000 – often during the Soviet era – which are usually inadequate for modern needs.

“Such businesses are the main tenants or buyers of the commercial warehouses we are developing in Vilnius Business Park, seeking to consolidate their processes under one roof in a convenient city location. Given that they operate in older premises and face high monthly maintenance costs, energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important, along with individual metering options that allow them to more accurately predict and manage these expenses,” says the expert.

According to the survey, as many as 78% of businesses could reduce their operating costs by up to 40% by consolidating operations. Most often, it was stated that this would allow savings of 6–10% (29% of respondents) and 11–20% (24% of respondents) of operating costs.

59% of small and medium-sized businesses in the capital plan to invest this year, with 15% intending to renovate and improve their premises.

The survey of small and medium-sized businesses was conducted by market and public opinion research company Spinter Research on behalf of Darnu Group. Representatives of 213 companies operating in Vilnius participated in the survey, which was conducted from 12 to 23 January 2026.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) – President Gitanas Nausėda on Thursday participated in the summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) countries in Helsinki. Together with the leaders of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries, the president discussed support for Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor Russia, strengthening deterrence policy and countering hybrid threats, including joint actions against the shadow fleet, as well as the geostrategic importance of the Baltic Sea and Nordic regions, transatlantic relations, and the situation in the Middle East.

Speaking at the event, President Nausėda noted that the JEF is playing an increasingly important role in responding to threats in the region, his office said in a statement. 

As Russia continues its brutal aggression against Ukraine and shows no willingness to seek peace or end the war, JEF countries must be prepared to counter any threats – both hybrid and conventional – and clearly demonstrate this readiness.

“It is crucial to further deepen the enhanced JEF partnership with Ukraine. This country has been fighting Russian aggression for five years, and we have much to learn from its experience. We must continue strengthening Ukraine’s cooperation with JEF countries by improving interoperability – through joint exercises, training, and technological cooperation, particularly in the areas of unmanned aerial vehicles and counter-drone defence, as well as in protecting critical infrastructure,” the president said.

President Nausėda said that developments in the Middle East highlight the importance of Ukraine’s accumulated experience and technologies, noting that the war with the Iranian regime must not divert attention or resources away from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.

“We still have enormous untapped potential in applying the lessons of the war in Ukraine and the experience of its soldiers,” he said.

The president stressed that the JEF must increase its operational presence across the region and take on a greater role in deterrence and countering hybrid threats.

“Airspace protection on NATO’s eastern flank, especially against drones and other unmanned systems, must be a top priority. This requires closer coordination, more training, and the adoption of Ukraine’s combat experience. Together with Ukraine, Europe must begin shaping a new security architecture – based on credible deterrence, defence, and resilience, rather than illusions of cooperation with Russia,” he said.

While discussing the geostrategic importance of the Arctic and the High North at a time when Russia is expanding its military presence there and China is increasing its economic and technological influence, the president highlighted the need to ensure balanced attention to both the High North and the Baltic Sea regions, whose security is interconnected. 

It is equally important to strengthen JEF’s interoperability with NATO, including more active involvement of JEF forces in allied activities in these regions, he said.

At the JEF Summit in Helsinki, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney joined the discussions remotely, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a message of greeting to the leaders.

The leaders of the JEF countries issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to continue supporting Ukraine, maintain pressure on Russia, implement an ambitious JEF–Ukraine partnership agenda, and jointly respond to regional security challenges.

At the conclusion of the meeting, it was announced that the 2028 JEF summit will be held in Vilnius.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTTA) – On Saturday, 28 March the Lithuanian Air Force Base, more specifically, the military airport runway, will become the venue for one of the most unique running events in Lithuania Runway Run 2026, the military said in a statement.

The event will be conducted for the 13th time to celebrate the NATO membership anniversary in the same place where the F-16 fighter aircraft of the Belgian Air Force touched down for the first time on 29 March 2004 to begin the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states. 

Runway Run is the only running event in Lithuania organised on the runway otherwise used by the military aircraft of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and Allied air forces deployed on the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states. The event serves as a reminder that the country is a part of NATO, the strongest defensive alliance in the world, and to pay tribute to the Alliance’s sign of solidarity with the new member – the maiden mission of the fighter aircraft about to start the NATO air policing tasks: landing in Lithuania on the very first day of our NATO membership.   

Members of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will take part in the event side by side with Allied troops, organisations, sports clubs, education institutions, and independent supporters. 

Everyone is invited to join in the tribute event to run 3,000 meters on the runway at a pace of their convenience. 

The event also offers an opportunity to take a closer look at the aircraft of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, fighter jets of the NATO Allies, and military equipment and weaponry of both in a static display which will be put out for that purpose. Participants will also be able to ask questions and find out more about military service and the Armed Forces.

Runway Run has been organised since 2013 and has been pulling together around 10,000 participants in the recent years.

Vilnius, March 26 (ELTA) –Leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) have issued a joint statement after talks in Finland on Thursday, President Gitanas Nausėda’s office said in a press release.

The statement is as follows:

Leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) met in Helsinki on Thursday to reaffirm their commitment to European security and stability, their strengthened support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia, and their continuous effort to respond to regional security challenges together.

The Leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East and how it has demonstrated the importance of maritime security and the trade routes that sustain us and are essential to our collective prosperity and security.

The Leaders welcomed the JEF’s continued development since their last meeting in Oslo in 2025 as a flexible and relevant tool for dialogue, deterrence and defence in Northern Europe.

Today, it was agreed:

1. To reinforce JEF members’ ongoing steadfast support to Ukraine through ambitious delivery of the JEF/Ukraine Enhanced Partnership

Last year in Oslo, Ukraine was invited to form an Enhanced Partnership with the JEF. Today, leaders recognised the notable progress to date and the mutual benefits the partnership has brought to all parties. They committed to maximising future operational collaboration opportunities and welcomed President Zelenskyi’s remote participation at today’s Summit to discuss the implementation of the partnership. This will include the active participation of Ukrainian units in the JEF’s signature JEF LION series of exercises later this year. They also looked ahead, to increasing the exchange of tactical and operational experience on modern warfare, including total defence, technological innovation, through further integration of Ukraine into broader JEF activity under the terms of the Enhanced Partnership.

2. To further leverage the JEF’s specific geographical focus and collective expertise of operating in the Arctic, High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea regions to strengthen NATO’s northern flank

The JEF nations reaffirmed that the Baltic Sea region, the High North and the North Atlantic form the core, interlinked, geostrategic area of concern and mutual interest for the JEF. In this context, remote participation of the Canadian Prime Minister at the Summit today was welcomed by JEF Leaders.

The JEF nations will increase awareness, understanding and coordination of activities and efforts across the whole JEF region. Special attention is given to the JEF’s significance in the Arctic, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea regions, including the JEF’s contribution to NATO’s developing posture in the region, its role in the European burden shifting effort, and JEF’s role as a bridge between national and NATO operations as well as its function in the transition from crisis to conflict.

The JEF LION series of exercises will further develop and demonstrate the value of the JEF operating model.

3. To further increase the JEF’s deterrence and peacetime activity

The JEF nations are committed to contributing to credible deterrence in peacetime, and to reacting quickly and flexibly in close coordination with NATO in a crisis situation, especially in response to security threats that do not meet the threshold of NATO’s Article 5.

The JEF nations will bolster their efforts to counter hybrid influencing and warfare and continue to share best practices and develop common approaches to deliver greater cumulative effect. This includes closer collaboration on addressing the threats posed by Russia’s Shadow Fleet, along with an ongoing focus on the military aspects of hybrid warfare.

The JEF nations will increase JEF effectiveness by ensuring further harmonisation with NATO planning, exploring closer cooperation on contributions to NATO enhanced vigilance activities, and ensuring that JEF Response Options remain aligned to the security threats faced by all JEF members.