Minister to Ed Miliband: British troops in Estonia strengthen NATO security

British troops in Estonia are an important part of NATO's deterrence posture, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.

Tsahkna praised the U.K.'s readiness to stand alongside Estonian soldiers after a meeting Wednesday with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in London on Wednesday.

Defense cooperation, Ukraine support and pressure on Russia were on the table. The U.K. has been the lead nation in the NATO allied land deployment in Estonia for nearly a decade now.

Wednesday's meeting focused extensively on Russia's aggression against Ukraine. According to Tsahkna, continued support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia to end the war are crucial for the security of Europe as a whole.

"We highly value the United Kingdom's contribution to our security and its readiness to stand alongside Estonian soldiers from the very first moment, jointly defending not only Estonia but the security of the entire NATO Alliance. Estonian and British soldiers work together and train side by side every day. As Brigadier Jamie Murray, the commander of the British troops stationed in Estonia, said recently, he would go into battle immediately if necessary. This is a very clear message both to our people and to our adversary," Tsahkna said.

Today in London, I met Foreign Secretary @Ed_Miliband to discuss support for Ukraine and wider European security, including countering Russia's sabotage and increasing pressure on Russia to end its aggression and secure a lasting peace. We also discussed strengthening our close defence cooperation. British and Estonian soldiers stand together to defend NATO's eastern flank and preserve peace, and we highly value the UK's commitment to our shared security.

— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) October 7, 2026

"The presence of British troops in Estonia is an important part of a strong deterrence and defense posture. Our task is to continue strengthening defense cooperation between Estonia and the United Kingdom. The growing defense investments of NATO's European Allies and Canada are also important, as they enable NATO to meet the capability targets it has set," the minister carried on, via a press release.

"We are working closely with the United Kingdom to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine. Russia must understand that the cost of continuing its aggression must be higher than the cost of ending it, and this requires continued pressure on Russia. The United Kingdom's sanctions policy has been very important in this regard, and the European Union must also continue to increase sanctions pressure. We must also continue our cooperation to counter Russia's hybrid activities," Tsahkna went on.

"The outcome of Russia's aggression will affect the security of Europe as a whole. Ukraine must now be provided with everything it needs to defend itself, while Ukraine's supporters must already be preparing for the post-war period and developing security guarantees that will make a recurrence of the aggression impossible".

Tsahkna and Miliband also discussed potential cooperation in light of the Ukraine Recovery Conference taking place in Estonia in January.

"Even while the war is still ongoing, we need to take active steps to support Ukraine's recovery. The Ukraine Recovery Conference taking place in Estonia next January will be crucial for advancing Ukraine's recovery and providing the assistance Ukraine urgently needs during the difficult winter of the war," Tsahkna said on this.

The foreign ministers also discussed further defense cooperation between the two countries.

During his visit, Tsahkna also met with U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham's National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, to discuss the same issues. Today, Thursday, he is to take part in discussions on European security at the GZERO Summit and the RUSI think tank in London.

The U.K. is the lead nation of the NATO battlegroup based at Tapa, and its deployment to Estonia has been Britain's largest land force deployment for a number of years. The U.K. is also the lead nation in the 10-member Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a maritime initiative focused on Baltic Sea security.

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