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PARIS—Germany, the Netherlands and Poland are seeking a military corridor to ease the movement of troops and equipment between Europe’s North Sea ports and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) eastern flank amid growing hostilities with Russia. is planning to develop.
The countries signed a letter of intent to develop the corridor on January 30, the Dutch ministry said, to address infrastructure hurdles such as low bridges and red tape surrounding permission to transport ammunition and other hazardous materials across borders. A plan was developed to reduce the The defense attorney said in a statement: They will also study how to prioritize military rail transportation over everyday civilian transportation.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago made European countries realize that they needed to prepare for military movements across the continent, something that had not previously been high on their agenda, said Dutch Defense Minister Kaisa Ollongren. spoke at the Military Maneuver Symposium in Brussels. 30 January She said that as a military transport country, the Netherlands must be able to move equipment quickly from ports to the hinterland.
“This is about heavy materials that have to go through bridges and roads, but it’s also about bureaucracy and red tape,” Ollongren said. “One thing we know for sure: When a crisis hits, you run out of time to do paperwork and you have to have your documents ready.”
The three governments will consider ways to standardize conditions for military transport, including prioritizing military trains, reducing rules for military convoys and border crossings, and suspending breaks and refueling. The Netherlands coordinates the EU Permanent Structure and Cooperation Organization (PESCO) military mobility project.
During the Cold War, Germany relied on military mobility as a frontline nation, and now that its borders have moved east, Berlin needs to provide similar mobility to its allies, said German Defense Secretary Siemche Möller. said in Brussels. He said Europe needed to demonstrate to Russia its ability to handle troops and supplies through ports, roads and rail.
Sarah Talley, director of NATO’s Defense Policy and Capabilities Directorate, said European countries were trying to catch up after decades of underinvestment after the end of the Cold War. He said the agreement between Germany, Poland and the Netherlands was “undoubtedly a great model and we need to do more of the same to address the challenges”.
Europe’s three largest ports are Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Antwerp in Belgium, and Hamburg in Germany, which are connected to inland destinations by waterways and an extensive network of roads and railways.
“Although we have troops stationed forward in Europe, the vast majority of our military remains in the United States,” Rachel Elhus, the Secretary of Defense’s representative to Europe, said at the Mobility Forum. “So we will rely on that throughput across the Atlantic and the ability to receive it quickly in Europe.”
Europe is providing military aid to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia, and defense budgets are increasing across the EU in response to Russian aggression. In November, Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, labeled Poland a “dangerous enemy.”
NATO last week announced plans to conduct Steadfast Defender, Europe’s largest post-Cold War exercise, involving around 90,000 soldiers from all NATO allies, not just Sweden. The exercise, aimed at testing NATO’s defense plans against a near-pear enemy, will see troops pass through Dutch ports and German roads and railways.
Mr Ollongren said governments should use NATO exercises to illustrate how investment in infrastructure increases resilience and improves deterrence. “This will also show our adversaries, especially the Russian Federation, that we are ready for this,” the minister said.
The European Union announced earlier this month that it would provide 807 million euros ($875 million) in funding for 38 additional projects to facilitate the transport of troops and equipment, and will support military maneuvers from 2021 to 2027. In total, support for 95 projects will be increased to 1.7 billion euros. .
“The faster we can move troops from one part of Europe to another by land, sea and air, the better prepared we are to deal with sudden challenges,” European Defense Agency Chief Executive Jiří Shedivy said. Stated. “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine just adds to the urgency.”
Rudy Ruitenberg is Defense News’ European correspondent. He started his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets, and politics.
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