The guns may soon fall silent in Ukraine as a peace deal appears closer now than ever before. Both Moscow and Kyiv are at the negotiating table, though any agreement will be contingent on both sides agreeing to hard-won concessions. If and when the ink dries on a ceasefire, tensions between the two countries aren’t going to vanish overnight, and there’s talk of Western forces being deployed to “protect” Ukraine.
The United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer are at the forefront of this situation, Prince William.
Today the heir to the throne traveled to Estonia to visit British soldiers and military equipment, being photographed sitting in a Challenger 2 tank and an armored fighting vehicle. The message to Vladimir Putin couldn’t be clearer, Britain is taking the threat of continued aggression from Russia seriously.
Aside from the tank picture, William has inspected forces at Tapa Camp, where a British Army Brigade is on permanent standby as part of Nato’s “collective security and defense”. The location itself is notable, as before Estonia’s independence in 1991 it was a Soviet air defense base poised to strike at the west.
William also visited the capital Tallinn, where he met President Alar Karis, viewed new drone technology, shook hands with regular Estonians, and visited a school for Ukrainian child refugees, saying “The Ukrainian resilience is everywhere, you have a very good spirit, very good souls, it’s very important.”
It’s worth noting that William has extensive military training, though probably couldn’t actually drive a tank. In 2006 he spent 44 weeks training at the Sandhurst military academy and was commissioned as a British Army Officer. The Queen even approved a request for William to be sent to the frontlines, though a plan for him to see combat in Southern Iraq was scuppered after details leaked and the government decided it was too dangerous to deploy him.
He eventually saw some action as part of the Royal Navy, being aboard a helicopter that helped raid a speedboat and seized 900 kg of cocaine in the Atlantic, as well as engaging in numerous search-and-rescue operations as a helicopter pilot. It’s easy to criticize the British royal family for being parasites who contribute little and take a lot but, to be fair, they do at least have a tradition of putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to military honors.
We’ll just have to wait and see whether Russia and Ukraine can settle on a ceasefire deal, but even when the attacks stop expect heightened tensions on both sides as they scrutinize each other for breaching the of the agreement. But, if this visit from William proves anything, it’s that the United Kingdom is indeed ready to step up and play an active role in keeping the peace.
Published: Mar 21, 2025 07:51 am