UK plans to increase number of its soldiers in Estonia
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Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Estonia says the UK plans to increase the number of its soldiers there to 1800 in February.
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The UK plans to shore up its number in Estonia
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Estonia says the United Kingdom is planning to increase the number of its soldiers stationed in Estonia to almost 1,800 in February.
Our correspondent said the Estonian Defense Ministry refused to comment on the ability to supply Ukraine with Israeli weapons owned by Tallinn. Germany had blocked an attempt by Estonia in January to provide Ukraine with German weapons.
Ukraine has received a new US weapons shipment as part of a batch of $200 million worth of weapons supply allocated to Kiev.
The Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, also noted that this US shipment will not be the last.
Estonia's growing role amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis
A combat group of NATO forces deployed in Estonia began joint drills with the Estonian army to conduct combat operations in winter conditions late in January.
The Commander of the Estonian 1st Infantry Brigade, Colonel Andros Merilo, said the drills aim to develop the skills of the British, French, and Estonian soldiers to sharpen combat skills and to train them in using heavy military equipment in winter conditions, in addition to planning and effective implementation of offensive and defensive operations.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were also waiting for US approval in January to send US-made lethal weapons to Ukraine. The three Baltic countries were taking on a more active role amid the tensions with Russia, at a time when Germany and France were more hesitant to take on such a role.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
