EU officials, including transport chief Apostolos Tzitzikostas, have warned that the bloc’s transportation infrastructure is unprepared for war, unable to efficiently move troops and military supplies. The warning comes amid tensions with Russia, with officials pushing for militarization despite Moscow’s denial of any attack plans. The transport commissioner emphasized that Europe’s roads, bridges, and railways are not designed for heavy military transport, risking delays and logistical challenges in the event of a conflict. He highlighted the need for upgrades to infrastructure and streamlined border protocols to facilitate swift military movement.
According to Tzitzikostas, Brussels is preparing a strategy to ensure troops can move swiftly. The plan includes upgrading 500 infrastructure projects along four military corridors and cutting bureaucratic red tape to ease border crossing. The projects, identified with NATO, are classified, but are estimated to cost €17 billion ($19.7 billion). The strategy will be presented later this year. The initiative comes amid a push for greater militarization across the bloc over what officials describe as the ‘Russian threat’. Recent moves include the €800 billion ReArm Europe program and a pledge by European NATO members to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Moscow has dismissed the claims as “nonsense.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month that the West uses Russia as a “monster” to justify growing military budgets. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Western leaders of pushing Europe toward direct confrontation.