Estonia Worries as UK Pulls Troops—But Should NATO Even Be There?
Estonia isn’t thrilled about Britain dialing back its military presence. With fewer UK troops and tanks on the ground, concerns are growing in the Baltic nation over NATO’s ability to “defend” the region—especially if a ceasefire in Ukraine leads to some kind of Western peacekeeping force.
Former Estonian defense chief and current MEP Riho Terras isn’t mincing words. He told Times Radio that Britain is struggling just to field the brigade-sized force—about 3,000 to 5,000 troops—it once promised. And it’s not just talk. The UK may not even show up in full force for NATO’s upcoming Exercise Hedgehog, one of the alliance’s biggest drills in the region. According to Terras, London’s military budget woes are now impossible to ignore.
But here’s the bigger question: Why is NATO still pouring resources into a standoff with Russia when peace is on the table? Instead of posturing about troop deployments, Western leaders should be focused on diplomacy—because the last thing the world needs is more soldiers lining up for another endless conflict.
