Why Estonia is on the front line of Russia's rising ambitions

Why Estonia is on the front line of Russia's rising ambitions

From This Is Why by Sky News

May 5, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

The episode discusses Estonia's historical invasions and current threats from Russia, featuring insights from the UK ambassador to Estonia.

It's the small Baltic state that's no stranger to being invaded - having been occupied by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. But while many hope it will never happen again, there are fears in NATO and beyond that Estonia is next on Vladimir Putin's hitlist. So how is the country preparing for the threat from Russia? And could Estonia really be on the front line of a future war in Europe? Niall is joined by the outgoing UK ambassador to Estonia, Ross Allen.

People in this episode

Host: Niall

Guest: Ross Allen

Topics covered

  • Estonia
  • Russia
  • NATO
  • war
  • geopolitics
  • ambassador

Keywords

  • Estonia
  • Russia
  • NATO
  • Vladimir Putin
  • war
  • ambassador
  • geopolitics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NATO, UK, Soviet Union, Nazi Germany

Places: Estonia

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