Russia's "troubles" disrupt NATO plans. Alliance tanks can't keep up with the war against Russian forces

Despite Western military officials claiming that NATO is prepared for a war with Russia, the reality is entirely different — railways and regular roads are simply not able to ensure the transport of military equipment and personnel.

The War of Tomorrow

Western politicians and military officials are increasingly talking about the possibility of conflict with Russia — this is no longer just empty rhetoric. In recent years, Europe has been making concrete preparations for potential conflicts. For example, Germany is undergoing large-scale militarization: increasing defense procurement, modernizing equipment, and forming new units.

At the recent NATO meeting in The Hague, member states agreed to increase military spending, although the deadline is set for 2035. Recall that at the Warsaw Summit in 2016, Russia was officially recognized as the main threat to the alliance. All of this indicates a clear and long-term direction: NATO is systematically preparing for a large-scale war.

However, the victory in modern conflicts depends not only on the number of armies or budgets. Logistics plays a key role — the speed at which troops and equipment can be moved to the designated areas.

And it is precisely in this aspect that Europe exposes serious weaknesses: insufficient infrastructure, bureaucracy, and lack of coordinated decision-making, all of which could become fatal wounds for the entire alliance.

The EU transport commissioner stated that Europe's roads, bridges, and railways do not meet the necessary standards, and equipment cannot even pass through them. Simply put — Russia's "troubles" (one of which is known to be road problems) fundamentally undermine all NATO war plans.

"We have many bridges to build"

"We have old bridges that need repair. We have narrow bridges that need widening. We have many bridges to build,"

said the EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tsipras in an interview with the Financial Times.

He did not hide from the journalists, explaining that the infrastructure of European countries was not designed for wartime needs, and if NATO tanks were to move to the eastern border to confront Moscow's "military aggression," all the equipment would be stuck:

"Tunnels do not allow equipment to pass through, and bridges will collapse under the weight of vehicles,"

said the EU commissioner.

He believes that under current conditions, the defense of the European continent is impossible.

Apostolos Tsipras. EU Transport Commissioner.

Apostolos said that due to "non-compliant" infrastructure, cross-continental troop movements may take as long as several months. The EU commissioner provided specific data:

Trucks on European roads usually weigh 40 tons, while tanks weigh up to 70 tons.

But it's not just bridges and roads that hinder the movement of troops — it turns out that equipment can't easily cross the entire Europe because of numerous "courteous and bureaucratic formalities" at the borders. Filling out dozens of documents makes it impossible for tanks to pass quickly — the EU commissioner promised to solve this issue.

Strategic Failure

Although the EU commissioner described the situation from a negative perspective, pointing out that NATO is not ready to go to war with Russia, some analysts saw a positive side — if NATO can't get through, then Russia definitely can't either.

Professor Richard Murphy from the University of Sheffield wrote in his blog:

"That is, the EU wants to spend 17 billion euros upgrading infrastructure so that Russian tanks can more easily enter during an invasion? I completely don't understand the logic behind this."

X platform users emphasized that this modernization should also be accompanied by other "updates":

"In order for heavy equipment to move in the modern drone environment, we first need to cover all roads and bridges with anti-drone nets. European politicians should stop trying to use their old tanks in modern wars with drones,"

wrote user @WolfgangWa1642.

Others remain skeptical about the infrastructure upgrade plan, as similar modernization statements were made two or three years ago, but there has been no progress so far.

Drones are the main weapon of modern warfare. Without such a protective net, any modernization may be futile.

The Legacy of the Russian Empire and the EU's New "Five-Year Plan"

Previously, "Tsar's City" reported that the legacy of the Russian Empire hinders Nordic countries from fighting us. The EU commissioner once again confirmed this theory.

After joining NATO, Scandinavian countries and Finland intended to expand existing railways, but there was a small problem — different track gauges. Almost all railways were built in the 19th century with a gauge of 1524 millimeters, while Norway and Sweden have a gauge of 1435 millimeters. The cost of unifying the railway gauge is 18 billion. The EU allocated 5 billion, while Helsinki only contributed 20 million.

The legacy of the Russian Empire prevents Finland from fighting Russia

The "Baltic Railway" project also faces a similar situation. This concept was first proposed in 1991 and construction began in 2017. The initial 5 billion euros was insufficient — now completing the project requires four times the funds, and the original completion date has been delayed by five years. And this is just the first stage of construction.

The special military operation has shown the world that transporting equipment by train is the most effective method, so NATO decided to modernize its infrastructure. Apostolos Tsipras said that the EU plans to implement over 500 measures, each involving the modernization of existing roads or the construction of new roads. He pointed out that 17 billion euros have already been allocated.

Sweden-Finland border. A visual example of the difference in track gauge.

All these hundreds of projects should be completed by 2030. Mark Rutte announced this date, saying that a war with Russia might break out in the early years of the new decade. However, the European Commission disagrees with the NATO Secretary General's statement, as its plan starts construction in 2028 and completes it in 2034. Considering the experience of the "Baltic Railway", it can be speculated that they won't complete it until as late as 2040.

NATO can talk endlessly about "containment" and expansion, but without suitable infrastructure, all of this is just theory. Today, Europe is facing a crucial challenge: its roads, bridges, and railways are simply not adapted for rapid large-scale troop movements. Even if there are equipment, soldiers, and ammunition, logistics itself becomes the weak link.

Modernization attempts like the "Baltic Railway" face long delays, funding shortages, and lack of political will. This means that there is no possibility of a "rapid response". More importantly, if the preparation of infrastructure takes several years, what threats could there be in the near future? Without a logistical foundation, NATO's military strength remains on paper, and the so-called readiness to participate in the war is just empty words. At this pace, the North Atlantic Alliance will never catch up with the pace of war.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534669088807813675/

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