Al Carns, a former special forces colonel in the Royal Marines, said Ukraine is on the frontline of Europe's defences as Vladimir Putin's full-scale onslaught enters its fifth year.
But he warned Britain is not immune, with Russia attacking the UK and its interests across four different kinds of frontline.
The minister spoke about daily threats in the North Atlantic, the Arctic and cyber attacks, as well as the danger posed by fake news and other forms of disinformation spread online - designed to sow or amplify divisions within UK society or between Britain and its friends.
'History rhymes'
Asked whether he agreed with comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Mr Putin had already started World War Three with his invasion of Ukraine, Mr Carns signalled that he saw similarities between the challenges faced today and the global landscape in the three years running up to the Second World War.
"History doesn't repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme," he said.
"And if you were to go back to, you know, 1936, '37, '38… there's definitely a lot of similarities.
"What I would say is that Ukraine is absolutely the front line of European defence, and they're doing an absolutely sterling job."
The UK's frontline
While Ukraine is on the frontline of Russia's conventional military machine, the armed forces minister said the UK is also in Moscow's sights - though the conflict is raging in a grey zone that sits under the threshold of all-out war.
"A lot of people say that the UK doesn't have a frontline," Mr Carns said.
"Well, the reality is we do. It sits in the North Atlantic. It sits in the High North. It sits in cyberspace. And it sits in influence - and I think that is being battled out every day."
He described how Russia has various means to inflict harm away from bombs and bullets.
"It's not through sharp power. It's through influence, through cyberspace, through industrial espionage," the minister said.
"It's through sowing division and discord into this country, into Europe. Drive us apart from the US, apart from our European allies, to fragment and then isolate and defeat."
But it's likely they'll have been surprised at the scale of violence across so much of the country.
That violence appears to have calmed down for now, but there's nothing to indicate it will simply peter out.
'El Mencho' killing - as it happened
When incidents like this happen, the cartels usually respond in three ways. The first is a show of strength, aimed at deterring the authorities from carrying out more raids - that's what has just happened.
The second is often fighting between factions within the same cartel or turf wars with other cartels trying to muscle their way into the territory - something gang members are already talking about.
The third is to launch a war against the Mexican government and its security forces.
It wouldn't be what we have seen over the past 24 hours; it would be something far more organised. This will no doubt be on the government's mind.
El Mencho was head of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of the only ones I haven't managed to access in my time covering Mexico's drug wars.
Jalisco New Generation are notoriously violent and untrustworthy, and our go-betweens in Mexico have always warned us not to even try approach them, although we have tried, but with little success.
This cartel, along with the Sinaloa drug cartel, is the top producer of a range of illegal drugs, including the opioid fentanyl, a drug predominantly made in Mexico and exported to the United States, where it kills thousands of users every year.
Just because its leader has been killed, it doesn't mean that Jalisco New Generation as a cartel is anywhere near finished.
US President Donald Trump's war on drugs has mainly focused on Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Mexico - and ever since Venezuela's Nicholas Maduro was captured in January, Mexico's government has come under even more pressure to take the war to the cartels inside Mexico and show some results.
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El Mencho's scalp will be much appreciated by the Trump administration and will likely take off some of the pressure on Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's president.
But with the football World Cup not too far away, and Mexico, like the United States and Canada, a host nation, President Sheinbaum's government needs to contain the fallout from this very quickly, or people may not risk going to Mexico.
Hugo Powell was delivered by caesarean section in December, weighing 6lb 13oz (3.1kg), at the Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, in London.
Only two other such cases have been reported elsewhere in Europe, while a baby was born from a womb transplanted from a living donor for the first time in the UK last year.
Hugo's mother, Grace Bell, an IT programme manager, was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH), a rare condition characterised by an underdeveloped or missing womb.
"It's simply a miracle. I never, ever thought that this would be possible," Ms Bell said. "I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life."
Hugo's father, Steve Powell, works in finance, and the couple, aged in their 30s, live in southern England.
Ms Bell said she remembered holding Mr Powell's hand during the birth, and trying to peep over the curtain before Hugo was placed in her arms.
"It just felt quite unreal at the time, because this has been a long journey for us both," she said.
Reflecting on the birth, Mr Powell said: "When he came over the curtain, it was just sort of overwhelming emotions. I felt like I wanted to cry, but couldn't.
"From where we started - first meeting - to where we are today, with Hugo, is nothing short of a miracle after everything we've been through."
'The biggest gift'
Ms Bell, who broke down in tears when she recalled discovering she was pregnant, said she thinks of her womb donor every day and hopes her family "find some peace in knowing their daughter gave me the biggest gift, the gift of life".
"There are no words to say thank you enough to my donor and her family," she said.
"Their kindness and selflessness to a complete stranger is the reason I have been able to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a mum.
"I hope they know that my child will always know of their incredible gift, and the miracle that brought him into this world."
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Five other organs from the donor were transplanted into four people, saving the lives of others.
The donor's parents said: "Losing our daughter has shattered our world in ways we can barely put into words.
"Yet even in this unimaginable pain, we've found a small measure of solace in knowing that her final act, her choice, was one of pure generosity."
After being told as a teenager that she had no womb, Ms Bell said she remembers "going into the hospital toilets and uncontrollably crying".
She told Mr Powell about her diagnosis "straight away" when they met. The couple had decided to pursue surrogacy before they became involved in the womb transplant programme.
Hugo's name honours charity chief
The couple decided to give Hugo the middle name Richard, after Professor Richard Smith, clinical lead of the charity Womb Transplant UK.
Hugo was also given the middle name Norman, after Ms Bell's grandfather.
Professor Smith, who was present at the birth, said holding baby Hugo and hearing he would be given his name "brought a tear to my eye".
"That did make me cry, straight up. It's been quite emotional, very emotional," he said.
Ms Bell underwent the seven-hour womb transplant in 2024, before beginning fertility treatment several months later.
The couple may decide to have a second baby, after which surgeons will remove the transplanted womb.
If the transplanted organ is not removed, Ms Bell would have to stay on immunosuppressant drugs.
With deceased donors, the womb is not covered by the normal consent for organ donation, nor by joining the organ donor register. Their families must instead give specific permission - after they have agreed to donate other organs.
It is estimated that about 25 to 30 babies have been born from deceased womb donations globally.
The intervention from the Commonwealth countries comes amid calls for the former duke to be prevented from ever becoming king.
Backing the calls, a spokesperson for New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the country would support the UK government if it proposes to take action.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had already written to Sir Keir Starmer on Monday backing the measure.
Andrew was arrested and interviewed under caution on Thursday 19 February, over allegations of misconduct in public office - something he strongly denies.
Following his arrest, calls for MPs to consider passing a law to remove the 66-year-old from the line of succession have grown.
In his letter, Mr Albanese wrote: "In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession.
"I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation.
"These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously."
Changing the line of succession would require the agreement of all 15 realms of the Commonwealth where the British monarch is also the head of state.
Only New Zealand and Australia have so far backed the move.
Sky's royal commentator Alastair Bruce said Albanese's letter "must help the prime minister", but warned that it may not be so simple to get all to agree.
He said: "It takes a lot of time, and I think parliaments across the world who have the King as head of state will not be looking forward to having to find time to do this."
Asked about support for the move, Bruce said that "particularly since Elizabeth II died", we are living in "a post-deferential age", when "the attitude of people to institutions generally, not just the Royal Family, has altered".
He added that the monarchy was "suffering at the moment from the fact that its reputation is hugely damaged, and it will want to see to it that a solution is found that those who need justice receive it".
The UK government is understood to be considering introducing legislation to remove the former duke from the line of succession.
But any such move would only happen once the ongoing police investigation into him has concluded.
Andrew is currently eighth in line to the throne, behind Prince William and his three children, as well as Prince Harry and his two children.
Australia has had a republican movement for well over a century, and it became the official policy of the country's governing Labor Party more than three decades ago, in 1991.
In 1999, a referendum on becoming a republic was held. Some 55% of voters supported remaining a constitutional monarchy, while 45% wanted to become a republic.
The latest polls show similar results, although republicanism is stronger among younger people.
Mr Albanese said on Friday that his government was not intending to hold another referendum, despite his personal support for having an Australian head of state.
John Davidson MBE was attending the awards ceremony after inspiring the film, I Swear, which dramatises his life with severe Tourette syndrome.
The condition is characterised by sudden, involuntary, repetitive sounds or movements, known as tics, which cause Davidson to call out inappropriate words.
That's what happened at the BAFTAs, when he called out a racial slur while two black actors, Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo, were on stage presenting the first award of the night.
Now Davidson has spoken out about the incident, saying that he is "deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning".
He also praised the BAFTA organisers for notifying the audience about his tics beforehand and clarifying that they do not reflect his personal beliefs.
"I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me," he said.
In the aftermath of Davidson's shout, the two actors on stage appeared to pause momentarily before continuing with the presentation.
Davidson said he then chose to leave the ceremony early because "I was aware of the distress my tics were causing".
The host, Alan Cumming, subsequently acknowledged the interruption and explained again about Tourette's.
In a statement, BAFTA said the slur was a source of "incomparable trauma and pain for so many" and apologised for putting its guests in a "very difficult situation".
The academy's statement said: "Early in the ceremony a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard by many people in the room.
"Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we apologise unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism.
"During the ceremony, John chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen, and we would like to thank him for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him.
"We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all.
"We will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy."
The ceremony, with the offending moment intact, remained available to watch on BBC iPlayer for over 12 hours.
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The broadcaster subsequently took it down to edit out the slur.
The BBC said: "We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer."