Reference News Network, July 31 report. According to the website of the UK's Financial Times on July 29, the EU's transport affairs chief warned that if a war breaks out with Russia, the roads, bridges, and railways on the European continent are not suitable for the rapid transportation of tanks, armies, and military supplies.

Greek EU Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told the Financial Times that if NATO's tanks were mobilized to respond to a Russian invasion of the EU's eastern border areas, they would get stuck in tunnels, cause bridges to collapse, and be trapped by border agreements. He is planning to invest 17 billion euros to comprehensively reform the infrastructure of the European continent to enhance military mobility.

Tzitzikostas said: "We have old bridges that need upgrading, narrow bridges that need widening, and bridges that need to be built." He stated that if the European army cannot move quickly, it would be impossible to defend the European continent. He said: "The reality today is that if we want to move military equipment and troops from western Europe to the east, it will take weeks, and in some cases even several months."

The majority of existing infrastructure was not designed with the need to transport armies across the entire EU in mind. Trucks on European highways generally weigh 40 tons, while tanks weigh 70 tons.

The EU is currently developing a strategy to ensure that forces can be deployed to counter external attacks "within a few hours, at most a few days" by upgrading 500 infrastructure projects along four military corridors covering the entire European continent.

These projects were determined jointly by the EU and NATO and its military commanders, and are currently kept confidential for security reasons. Tzitzikostas said that Brussels will also reduce bureaucratic procedures to avoid NATO tanks being "hindered by paperwork during cross-border movements."

He will submit this strategy later this year. In the context of a wave of preparation for war across the European continent, this strategy is part of it. There are warnings that Europe may face a broader confrontation with Russia, while the United States plans to reduce its security presence in Europe.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned NATO members in June that Russia may attack one of the NATO member states before 2030.

The EU is launching a defense rearmament plan costing up to 800 billion euros, aiming to become more self-sufficient in defense to respond to requests from U.S. President Donald Trump and to withstand potential future attacks from Russia.

In its upcoming 2028-2034 budget proposal, the EU Commission stated that its goal is to invest 17 billion euros to improve infrastructure to enhance military mobility. However, senior EU diplomats have warned that intense negotiations among EU countries on this issue may lead to the budget being reduced before it is approved.

Tzitzikostas said that the plan to enhance military mobility will complement an agreement with NATO allies aimed at raising defense spending targets to 5% of GDP, with 1.5% allocated to security and defense-related infrastructure.

Tzitzikostas said: "We can no longer be unprepared or rely on others." (Translated by Yang Xuele)

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