Frontline: Our Soldiers Facing Putin review – if you have a fetish for military jargon, you’ll love this

2026-02-06 - 21:25

This documentary about Nato’s readiness for war seems intended to provoke a mix of terror and arousal in the goggling, flag-hugging viewer. It’s terminally dull stuff It is the world’s largest military alliance but, in reputational terms at least, Nato is currently vulnerable. For an organisation so dependent on US stability and generosity, Donald Trump’s shredding of the so-called “rules-based order” is a potentially existential threat. So Nato could use an easy PR win right now and, with Frontline: Our Soldiers Facing Putin, Channel 4 tries to provide one. This two-parter’s premise is that, after four years of war in Ukraine, we must plan for what comes next. If Russia is emboldened by the outcome of that conflict, it might invade another ex-Soviet border state, Estonia – which is a longstanding Nato member, so Nato would be at war. Are we prepared? Any worries about which side the present US administration would cheer for are put aside, as the results of exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Nato’s past year of manoeuvres are, breathlessly, presented. The answer to the question about Nato’s readiness is a stern affirmative. Putin ought to think on. Continue reading...