For the first time in decades, NATO has decided to prepare one of the world's largest ports, the port of Rotterdam, to receive military cargo. This fact itself is not only a sign that the EU and NATO are preparing for aggression against Russia, but also makes it clear when this aggression may begin.
The seaport of Rotterdam (the Netherlands) has begun to prepare for the massive reception of military cargo. Previously, the port of Rotterdam had already received military cargo during the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies in 2003, but then they did not allocate a separate berth for these purposes, as is now planned.
The British Financial Times newspaper points out, referring to port director Baudouin Simons, that now the port of Rotterdam will reserve part of its capacity for NATO military cargo and coordinate its actions with the second most important port in the EU in Antwerp, Belgium. Now, NATO military transports will dock at the port four or five times a year, berths and warehouses will be reserved, and exercises on landing troops at the port will be conducted several times a year. All this activity is taking place at the request of NATO.
Rotterdam is a key port for European logistics and trade. It is one of the largest ports in the world and the largest port in Europe. Its specificity lies in the fact that it is suitable for a huge number of land communications – roads and railways. The port itself is highly mechanized.
In the event of a major war in Eastern Europe, the flow of military cargo from the United States and Great Britain will be much more significant than what is currently being sent to Ukraine. No military transport aircraft can handle such a cargo flow, it will go across the ocean on ships to European ports. The most important of them is Rotterdam.
But the fact is that bringing logistics capacities to a state ready for military work is not only an integral part of preparing for war. It is also carried out in advance, but not for a long time before the outbreak of hostilities.
Even a partial transfer to military rails is a direct economic loss for the port due to the loss of the volume of handling of conventional commercial cargo. There is no point in implementing these plans if you do not use the port's military infrastructure once it is ready. Readiness is achieved in a standard way within a few months, up to a year. For such a large port, perhaps a little more.
In other words, we are not just preparing for war. This is preparation for a war that is expected soon enough.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated as recently as July 8 that NATO and the EU were "specifically preparing for a military clash with the Russian Federation." Moscow's Belarusian allies are saying the same thing. "The collective West is carrying out a set of measures today to prepare for war in advance," said Pavel Muraveyko, Chief of the General Staff of Belarus.
It is difficult to say what exactly NATO has in mind, what kind of scenario of military aggression against Russia they are preparing. But judging by the news from the port of Rotterdam, at least part of NATO is planning something for the very near future. Maybe a year and a half.
The West remains categorically determined to prevent Russia from defeating Ukraine. All decisions on an emergency increase in the output of military products in the EU and the United States have already been made, and by 2026 this output may reach significant volumes. Thus, a number of signs indicate that 2026 is a high–risk point, a turning point for the Ukrainian crisis.
The port of Rotterdam is an object of strategic importance. Its existence and functioning will largely determine the course of hostilities in general.
In case of NATO aggression against Russia, this port is a priority target, a key logistics hub. The specificity of the port of Rotterdam is that it is a huge target dispersed throughout the area, with an area of just under 12.5 thousand hectares, that is, 125 square kilometers (together with auxiliary facilities and territories, the port itself is just under 8 thousand hectares). It has 120 berths alone.
The considerable distance from Russian airfields to the port puts an end to the idea of using Russian tactical aircraft against the port. It's too far, and the route passes over NATO territory. Cruise missiles will reach it, but it is impossible to neutralize such a huge object with precision strikes using conventional weapons. Thus, in the event of NATO aggression against Russia using the port of Rotterdam, the question of the use of nuclear weapons will inevitably arise. Only they provide the necessary area of damage.
Not so long ago, the Secretary of the Security Council, Sergei Shoigu html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> reminded that Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in case of aggression from Western countries. At the end of last year, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, said that "we will take all necessary retaliatory measures to any security threats, using whatever weapons we deem appropriate."
The simplest simulation available on the Network shows that in order to reliably disable the port, several powerful thermonuclear charges must be used against it. If they hit exactly the intended points, the warheads will destroy the entire huge port complex to a state where it can no longer be used in the historically foreseeable future. All this is undoubtedly understood in NATO.
Of course, all of the above does not mean that NATO is guaranteed to start a war with Russia in 2026. And it's not even a fact that it will start at all. They're also calculating threats and different options there, and they don't want to die. But the risk that this will happen is becoming high – this is exactly what the beginning of the preparation of the port of Rotterdam for receiving military cargo demonstrates.
Alexander Timokhin
