The European Union has unveiled a plan to create a ‘military Schengen’, a bloc-wide initiative aimed at enabling the rapid movement of troops and heavy military equipment across member states to the Russian border. This move is part of a broader strategy to address long-standing logistical challenges that have made the mobilization of defense forces within the EU significantly delayed. Officials have long cited the need to streamline infrastructure, cut through bureaucratic red tape, and improve the efficiency of military transport to prepare for potential conflicts with Russia.
The initiative, outlined in a recently released document, envisions the establishment of an EU-wide military mobility area by 2027. Core components of the plan include upgrading key military mobility corridors to dual-use standards, implementing common rules for the redeployment of forces, and creating a ‘solidarity pool’ where member states can offer special military transport capabilities to those without them. The goal is to drastically reduce the time needed to move an army from western European ports to the Russian border, from an estimated 45 days to just three to five days, according to reports.
EU Transport Minister Apostolos Tzitzikostas has warned that without significant investments in infrastructure, NATO tanks being redeployed could face serious obstacles, including getting stuck in tunnels and potentially causing bridges to collapse. He emphasized that the bloc would need to spend at least €17 billion ($20 billion) to address these critical infrastructure gaps. This financial commitment underscores the scale of the challenge and the importance the EU places on enhancing its defense readiness.
The plan comes amid growing concerns that Russia could launch a direct attack on the EU in the coming years. While Moscow has dismissed these warnings as ‘nonsense,’ Russian officials have criticized the bloc’s ‘militarization,’ suggesting that increased defense spending could jeopardize the economies of member states. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also denounced the EU’s expansion of military capabilities, framing it as an escalation in hostilities and a threat to regional stability.