Prince of Wales to visit British troops on Nato front line in Estonia
The British forces at Tapa are the UK’s largest permanent overseas deployment.
The Prince of Wales will visit Estonia on Nato’s front line with Russia to meet British troops providing a deterrent to aggression in the region.
William will tour the Baltic state next Thursday and Friday mainly in his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment, and travel to Tapa Army Base where British forces are stationed ready to defend Nato’s eastern flank.
The British forces at Tapa are the UK’s largest permanent overseas deployment and there are around 900 UK service personnel in total in Estonia.
William’s visit comes as Europe’s major nations including the UK prepare to step up spending on their armed forces in response to the changing world order ushered in by US President Donald Trump.
Russia is seen as a growing threat in the region following its three-year long invasion of Ukraine, and the Baltic states – Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia – which border Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nation appear increasingly concerned.
UK troops lead a battlegroup in Estonia and William will travel to Tapa camp to meet the military personnel from his Mercian Regiment undergoing training.
British forces are deployed to Estonia and Poland under Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to Nato’s Forward Land Forces in the two countries.
William will begin the first day of his visit by meeting Alar Karis, President of Estonia – which has been prominent among those giving military equipment and political support to Ukraine.
He will also visit a school founded by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in May 2022 to respond to the war in Ukraine, and the prince will meet teachers from Ukraine to hear about their experiences at the school, and how they have helped students settle in Tallinn and looked after their mental wellbeing.
The prince founded his Earthshot Prize to help recognise and scale-up solutions to repair the planet, and he will also attend an event to learn about renewable energy start-ups.
The following day will be spent at Tapa Army Base where William, a former Army officer, will meet Estonian soldiers and attend a handover ceremony as The Mercian Regiment takeover from The Royal Dragoon Guards.
