UK presence in Baltics ‘key’ to deterrence against Russia

Forward deployment of British troops in Estonia remains a critical pillar of UK and NATO deterrence against potential Russian aggression, defence officials told MPs during an oral evidence session on 25 March.

The discussion came as part of the Defence Committee’s ongoing inquiry into “Defence in the Grey Zone”—a strategic space where sub-threshold tactics like cyber attacks and disinformation sit alongside traditional military posturing.

Labour MP Emma Lewell pressed the panel on whether Russia’s track record of “bite-and-hold” operations—in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine—should prompt the UK to expand its own forward-deployed presence to prevent further incursions.

Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard responded by highlighting the UK’s existing deployment in Estonia as a model of effective deterrence. “There is a real benefit to our forward land presence in Estonia—not just for the Estonians, but for the UK’s security as well,” he said, noting the UK’s leading role within NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP).

Pollard also cited the integration of UK forces with regional NATO partners, including Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Sweden. “The new regional plan that covers that part of the world, hubbed out of Norfolk [Virginia], allows us to have not just a UK presence in Estonia but greater integration across the High North,” he explained.

The Minister added that such deployments are not solely military in purpose, but symbolic and strategic: “It also allows a forward presence for the UK to conduct information discussions and to show our support for our NATO allies.” He pointed to the recent visit of the Prince of Wales to Estonia as a signal of continued British commitment to Baltic security.

Paul Wyatt, Director General for Security Policy at the Ministry of Defence, reinforced the point that such efforts are multilateral by design. “This is something that we do not do unilaterally,” he said. “We do it very much in the context of NATO planning… and a combined multilateral NATO endeavour.”

Wyatt added that UK involvement includes both land and air components, citing the UK’s role in Baltic and Romanian air policing operations: “It’s not just a land forces deployment… but also security of the airspace.”

The UK’s forward posture in the Baltics forms part of NATO’s broader deterrence-by-denial strategy, ensuring that any attempt at Russian escalation—from hybrid interference to full military incursion—is met by a visible and integrated Allied response.