Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,
NATO logistics chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Sollfrank is chargeable for final November’s “military Schengen” proposal, which bore fruit in February after Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland – the final of which has comprehensively subordinated itself to Berlin – agreed to optimize their navy logistics.
That is supposed to streamline the dispatch of emergency American navy forces to the Russian border by way of the Dutch port of Rotterdam and the subsequent two nations’ rail programs within the occasion of a serious disaster.
The Telegraph up to date their viewers about Sollfrank’s brainchild on Tuesday slightly greater than a month earlier than the subsequent NATO Summit in DC from 9/11 July of their article detailing how “Nato land corridors could rush US troops to front line in event of European war”.
It included a useful map displaying the 5 corridors which are being relied on to this finish, with probably the most distinguished being the abovementioned Dutch-German-Polish one.
Within the order that they had been enumerated by that outlet, the others embody Italy-Slovenia-Croatia-Hungary; Greece-Bulgaria-Romania; Turkiye-Bulgaria-Romania; and Norway-Sweden-Finland. The primary is presently unviable given Hungary’s resistance to NATO’s anti-Russian warmongering (except Orban is neutralized); the subsequent two require increasing Romania’s “Moldova Highway” mission to the Aegean Sea; whereas the final one relies on only a few chokepoints. They’re all due to this fact works in progress.
Therein lies the explanation why the upcoming NATO Summit would possibly see many of the bloc agreeing to hitch the “navy Schengen” as its most necessary consequence in an effort to enhance these corridors’ efficacy. Eradicating purple tape in an effort to facilitate the free motion of troops and tools entails sacrificing extra of every member’s sovereignty, which Hungary and Slovakia in all probability received’t comply with, however the remainder’s participation would set the idea for the US’ envisaged “Fortress Europe”.
This idea refers back to the American-backed however German-driven militarization of the EU, which might see Berlin lead the bloc’s anti-Russian containment on Washington’s behalf after the Ukrainian Battle inevitably ends to ensure that the US to “Pivot (again) to Asia” for extra muscularly containing China. “Fortress Europe” is due to this fact a long-term mission, not one thing that’ll be accomplished anytime quickly, particularly since NATO additionally needs to ramp up its military-industrial manufacturing to compete with Russia.
Nonetheless, the significance of optimizing navy logistics throughout Europe can’t be overestimated since rising the efficacy of the 5 corridors that The Telegraph drew consideration to will make it a lot simpler for Germany to handle Russia’s post-conflict containment below the US’ supervision. Getting most members to agree to hitch the “navy Schengen” can be the simplest method for NATO to spin its subsequent summit as success and placate a few of Ukraine’s disappointment directly once more not being invited to hitch.
Kiev might be advised with none sugarcoating that the steps taken throughout that occasion will make it simpler for individuals who’ve prolonged it “security guarantees” to meet their guarantees to instantly dispatch navy support throughout a disaster. This might additionally assist reassure these hawkish anti-Russian policymakers who consider that any pragmatic compromise on Ukraine can be to Moscow’s benefit since NATO may pair its forthcoming military-industrial manufacturing websites with the “navy Schengen” throughout peacetime.
This may be executed in the course of the ongoing NATO-Russian proxy war in Ukraine, however the price of the latter’s drive depletion prevents the bloc from replenishing its personal stockpiles because it has to proceed supplying Kiev, and that in flip reduces the boldness that EU leaders have of their capability to “deter” Russia. Accordingly, freezing the battle by yr’s finish turns into extra enticing if they arrive to see it on this method, which may then allow them to extra successfully prioritize these plans over the approaching years.
In that occasion, new military-industrial websites may pop up alongside these 5 “navy Schengen” corridors in addition to supplementary ones like the German-Estonian hall by way of Poland for fortifying the new Iron Curtain’s “Baltic Defense Line”, the aim being to maximally militarize the EU. Conscription might return throughout the bloc, emergency training might be taught in all faculties, and everybody would stay on edge like in the course of the top of the Outdated Chilly Struggle, however this chilly peace would nonetheless be better than a hot war.
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