MOD chief: next meeting of Northern Group in early 2025 in Ukraine

The Northern Group is a defence policy forum, initiated by the UK in 2010. It includes the Nordic and Baltic countries, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK. Defence ministers from the Northern Group countries ordinarily meet to discuss and coordinate security and defence policy issues of mutual interest.

During the meeting, Kosiniak-Kamysz spoke with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who had been invited to the summit. The discussions centered on the current situation in Ukraine and developments on the frontlines. According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister Umerov provided a comprehensive update on military actions and ongoing initiatives.

Umerov expressed gratitude to Poland for its ongoing support, which Kosiniak-Kamysz said has helped improve the tone of bilateral relations after recent tensions caused by political statements.

Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that Poland has trained 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers, accounting for one-third of all troops trained since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion. Additionally, Poland has expressed readiness to train members of the Ukrainian Legion (the International Legion of Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine), a unit being formed by Ukraine. However, interest in joining the formation has reportedly been limited so far.

The minister described the upcoming meeting in Ukraine as an initiative he fully supports, emphasizing the importance of further developing the Northern Group format. This group, composed of Northern European nations, including the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, focuses on security and defense cooperation.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also highlighted Poland's role as a potential "transatlantic bridge" between Europe and the United States, especially concerning security in the Baltic Sea region. He assured that Baltic Sea issues will remain a priority during Poland’s EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2025.

Responding to questions about recent damage to undersea fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea, Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that investigations were ongoing. He stated that preliminary findings suggest the incidents may be acts of sabotage similar to last year’s Nord Stream pipeline damage.