**Prince William Visits Estonia, Shows Support for UK Troops**
Prince William has visited Estonia to show support for British troops guarding Nato’s border with Russia. He met young Ukrainian refugees and praised their “resilience” during his visit.
The Prince of Wales was speaking at a school in Tallinn, the Estonian capital. He said that the spirit and souls of Ukrainians were very important. His two-day visit to Estonia began on Thursday with a meeting with the country’s President Alar Karis.
**Warm Welcome**
Prince William received a warm welcome from crowds waiting in the cold to see him. He even took selfies with onlookers using their camera phones. This is part of his efforts to show support for British troops and Nato forces in the region.
Estonia has 900 UK troops stationed there, including soldiers from the Mercian Regiment, of which Prince William is the colonel-in-chief. This is currently Britain‘s biggest operational deployment overseas.
**Concerns Over Russia**
Earlier this week, Estonia withdrew from a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, as tensions with Russia rise. The country’s navy has been trying to prevent sabotage of undersea cables and plans to increase military spending to 5% of its GDP.
Prince William’s visit is seen as a sign of support from Western allies for Estonia, which has a population of only 1.3 million. The threat from Russia seems very real in the country, with many Ukrainians fleeing their homes.
**Fear of War**
Catlyn Kirna, a senior lecturer in cyber-security at the University of Tallinn, says that Estonia is preparing for war. She believes that if Ukraine falls, they will have to fight for their lives.
“I don’t want this situation,” she says. “It’s too close to home.”
**Estonia Looks to Nato**
Estonia has given more aid to Ukraine than any other country, as a proportion of its GDP. The threat from Russia feels very real in the country, with cyber attacks and misinformation already happening.
“I’m worried about what will happen next,” says Julija Raudkivi, a political science student at Tallinn University. “We need stronger Nato forces to defend ourselves.”