My final port of call on this week’s tour of the Baltic states was Estonia, the fourth smallest state in the EU by population. It shares a small border with Russia and has a fraught relationship with its giant neighbour.

This is not just Estonia’s border, it is also an EU external border, a Nato border and a Schengen Area border, so Russian threats to it have wide implications.

Russia is highly aggressive toward Estonia, using a range of hybrid techniques to cause disruption. There have been campaigns of damage to property and defacing of monuments, including targeted attacks on journalists and politicians. GPS jamming is used to interfere with civilian aircraft in Estonia.

In May, Russian border guards removed 24 navigation light buoys in the Narva River that mark out the border between the two countries in an apparent attempt to create uncertainty as to the location of the border.

Perhaps most disturbing, last October Estonia’s schools were targeted with a huge wave of emailed bomb threats, mostly written in Russian. Many schools had to be closed while the threats were investigated.

All this is a huge amount of pressure for a tiny country with a population of just 1.4 million to have to endure. But Estonia remains forthright in its opposition to Russia, most particularly regarding Russia’s war on Ukraine. Estonia is the largest per capita provider of military aid to Ukraine.

Estonia hosts Nato troops and equipment from the UK, US, France and Denmark as it is such an important part of the front line against Russia.

The first destination on my visit was the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) , which is based in Tallinn. The centre, of which Ireland is a member, is a platform to help nations of all sizes collaborate to counter cyber threats. I was delighted to meet its Irish secondee, Commandant Frank Hickey and to learn more about Ireland’s involvement.

My next destination was the Narva border crossing point, on Estonia’s border with Russia. It is one of three major crossing points. The other two are primarily goods traffic crossings, whereas Narva sees a movement of people back and forth. The crossing point at Narva has become increasingly restrictive since 2022, now allowing passage between the two countries on foot only and subject to greater customs checks than ever before.

I’m happy to say that Ireland has long enjoyed excellent bilateral relations with Estonia. This small but formidable country is on the front line of the conflict with Russia and deserves Ireland’s and the EU’s continued support. Russia’s threat to Estonia is a threat to the whole of the EU.