Prince William in Estonia to support British troops on Russian border and give backing to Ukraine
20 March 2025, 13:55 | Updated: 20 March 2025, 13:58
Prince William is in Estonia for a two-day trip to meet the country's president and visit British NATO troops on the border with Russia.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
William posed with Alar Karis outside his presidential office in the capital Tallinn before talks between the two men.
Estonia is on Nato's front line with Russia, with British troops working with allies to provide a deterrent to aggression in the region.
The future King also met a small group of kindergarten age children nearby waving union flags and bent down to talk to them for a few moments before heading into the building.
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said William was in Estonia for three reasons: “To show his support to Estonia as it manages its proximity to Russia while hosting Nato troops and welcoming Ukrainian refugees.
“He’s showing his support to the Mercian Regiment as it embarks on Nato exercises, which also reinforces the UK’s relationship with Nato.
"And he is also showing his ongoing support to Ukraine.”
He is making his visit predominantly in his role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment which is taking over Nato defence duties in the country from the Royal Dragoon Guards.
Estonia's defence minster Hanno Pevkur said: "The reality is we cannot change our neighbour - our neighbour is very hostile towards its neighbours, this is our response to how Russia is acting at the moment."
On day two of the visit, William will travel to Tapa Army Base where British forces are stationed ready to defend Nato's eastern flank and meet soldiers from his regiment and Estonian troops.
The British forces at Tapa are the UK's largest permanent overseas deployment and there are around 800 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.
President Karis has been prominent among those giving military equipment and political support to Ukraine.
Later on Thursday the prince 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.
He 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.
