European defense ministers meeting in Amsterdam about protecting infrastructure at sea

The defense ministers of ten Northern European countries will meet in Amsterdam on Tuesday to discuss the protection of vital infrastructure along the coast and at sea. The countries are working together as part of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which the Dutch Ministry of Defense describes as a “rapid response force” capable of acting independently “in support of NATO or other cooperative ventures.”

The critical infrastructure being discussed includes wind energy farms, pipelines, and internet cables. According to the Dutch Cabinet, the Russians pose a threat to infrastructure both above and below the surface.

The military intelligence service, MIVD, warned of this in April in its annual report. Russia is "secretly mapping the Dutch maritime infrastructure and is undertaking activities that indicate espionage and preparatory acts for disruption and sabotage," the MIVD stated at the time.

In addition, the situation in Ukraine will also be discussed at the meeting in Amsterdam. The defense ministers of the countries united in the JEF - which is commanded by the British - meet regularly. The frequency of these meetings has increased since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In addition to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the JEF also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. The armed forces of these countries regularly train and drill together.