JAKARTA - The forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance are 100 percent ready to defend Europe if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attack, a British military commander has said.
Lieutenant Colonel Ru Streatfeild, who leads the organization's fighting group in Estonia, said British troops were 'buzzed' and very proud to help strengthen the country's eastern border with Russia.
Troops led by Britain's 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, which he commands and recently stationed in the Baltic States, took part in a large-scale exercise at the Tapa military base, about 112 kilometers (70 miles) from the Russian border, last Thursday.
Exercise Bold Dragon involved about 2,300 troops from Britain, France, Denmark and Estonia using tanks, including British Challenger 2 tanks, armored infantry, engineers, artillery and logistics.
Allied forces faced off against Estonia in muddy, snowy and marshy conditions, to further hone NATO war tactics and capabilities, and ensure smooth cooperation.
Speaking during the exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Streatfeild said the war in Ukraine had given his soldiers 'a razor-sharp focus'.
"We are really under NATO command now. There is a NATO plan, and whatever orders are given to us under the NATO structure, we will carry them out," he was quoted as saying by The National News April 16.
Asked if NATO forces were ready in the event of a Russian invasion, he said: “100 percent. This is pride. They are on their game and they are ready."
"It's not that people are happy about this. But soldiers want to do work. They want to practice their skills. This is what they did to join the army," he said.
"Our soldiers are very proud to be here. It is a great privilege. But it is also a big responsibility."
He further said that NATO troops are not only in place to protect the security of the east wing, but also "freedoms we often take for granted".
"Those are western liberal values, this is freedom of speech, this is the ability to be able to buy your own house or car, all those western norms, all backed by security and that's what NATO is here for."
The commander of the battle group said he really knew how he would counter a Russian attack.
"We know this terrain very well. And for Estonians, this is their terrain. They have defended it before and they will defend it again," he said.
There are currently around 2,000 NATO troops in Estonia, including the Viking Company of the Royal Danish Army and the French 7th Alpine Hunter Battalion.
On Wednesday, Estonian officials called on NATO member states to double the number of troops in the country to prevent Russia from advancing further into Europe.
Shooter Joe Watson, 19, from Wakefield said he was not worried about the prospect of war.
"It didn't really concern me. We did join the army for a reason. You always have to be ready for that. And as a shooter, you don't think about it too much. You just do your job and try to do it well."
"Everyone understands that if we leave it will be big. But we are focused on defending Estonia. That's exactly what this is. I'm proud to be here. I think a lot of Estonians are very grateful because a lot of the British Army are here, especially the units. armored. And it makes you quite proud to be in this job."
"I have a pretty small family, they dealt with it pretty well. My dad was obviously proud. They were all proud enough to be fair."
Separately, Lance Cpl Rhydian Stephens, from Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, who joined Royal Welsh as a B-company medic said: "We heard the news about the war, when we were doing exercises in Germany and obviously people got excited. That's what we are. join the army to do."
"We joined the army to help. But, for now, we're just looking at what's happening right now on the news, doing what we need to do here in Estonia first."
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