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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a summit next week with the leaders of Russia’s neighboring Scandinavian and Baltic states, one of the largest NATO military exercises in Norway since Monday.
More than 30,000 athletes from 27 countries will take part in the so-called “Gold Response Exercise”, which will be held at temperatures below zero.
In parallel, Johnson will receive on Tuesday in London the leaders of Jeff, a coalition of ten countries focused on security in northern Europe, according to a report released by Downing Street.
“European security has been shaken by Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, and we, along with our allies, will work to ensure that we emerge stronger and more united than ever,” Johnson said in a statement.
“Ensuring our opposition to the threats of Russian President Vladimir Putin must go beyond the military aspect,” he added.
“We must work with our partners in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to ensure that we are safe from Russia’s interference in our energy supply, our economy and our values.”
Atlantic members Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway, as well as Finland and Sweden, are not members of the coalition, which was established in 2012.
The countries of the “Jeff” alliance are conducting their military exercises in the Baltic Sea under the leadership of the United Kingdom, demonstrating “freedom of movement” in a strategic area on the border with Russia.
According to a Downing Street report, JEFF leaders are expected to agree on an “improved schedule” for training in the Arctic, North Atlantic and Baltic Seas for next week’s summit.
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