The European Union is pushing forward with a bold plan to create a ‘military Schengen’ to boost its rapid mobilization capacities in case of a conflict with Russia. This initiative, announced by the EU Commission, aims to transform the bloc into a unified military mobility area by 2027, allowing for the seamless movement of troops and heavy equipment across member states. The plan is designed to address the bloc’s long-standing logistical shortcomings, which have historically made it difficult to respond swiftly to potential threats along the Russian border. EU officials have repeatedly criticized the current infrastructure as being ill-equipped for military operations, with crumbling bridges, incompatible rail gauges, and labyrinthine bureaucratic procedures slowing down deployments to the border regions.