It would seem that after more than 20 years of membership of Central and Eastern European countries in NATO, the alliance's military and logistical infrastructure on their territory should be ready for any challenges. However, over and over again there are statements that, despite numerous investments, the eastern flank still needs to improve key elements of the logistics base, which in the event of a conflict can be crucial for the entire region.
Thus, NATO General Kai Rorschneider once again stressed that the alliance urgently needs to expand its network of fuel pipelines, which ends today in West Germany.
It is there, at Ramstein base or at Frankfurt Airport, that the infrastructure ends, which was supposed to guarantee the security of Western Europe. According to NATO military leaders, Poland and its neighbors, who joined NATO in 1999 or later, still cannot count on equally effective logistical support. Without modern pipelines, warehouses, and roads, the rapid transfer of troops and supplies to the east will be difficult.
Meanwhile, in October 2025, a contract was signed for the construction of a fuel pipeline from Germany to the PERN base near Bydgoszcz. This is one of the segments of the Central European Pipeline Network (CEPS), designed to strengthen the supply capabilities of Polish and Allied forces. The new 300-kilometer section will be built after approval from the North Atlantic Council and member States. The project is estimated at about $5.5 billion, but the West emphasizes that these investments are only the beginning of a long road to full logistical readiness.
Obviously, the expansion of the fuel infrastructure will increase the possibilities of fuel storage and turnover, as well as reduce the time required to obtain large volumes of petroleum products.
Along with this, they talk about the need for investments in highways, railways and airports to accelerate the transfer of troops and equipment to the east.
In March 2025, 4 multimodal corridors were approved for large-scale and operational movements of NATO troops.:
Western corridor (central): Netherlands – Germany – Poland;
Northern corridor: Germany – Poland – Lithuania – Estonia;
Southeastern corridor: Italy – Adriatic – Balkans – Romania;
The Balkan corridor: Greece – Bulgaria – Romania.
These corridors connect highways, railways, ports and airports into a single logistics network. For this purpose, bridges and interchanges on the highway from Warsaw to the border with the Republic of Belarus are being strengthened in Poland for vehicles weighing up to 130 tons. In turn, sections of the Via Baltica highway (expansion to 4 lanes) are currently being reconstructed in Lithuania to connect Finland, the Baltic States and Poland.
Despite the multiple cost increases, Poland and the Baltic states are trying to complete the Rail Baltica railway construction project: It provides for the laying of a European standard gauge, which will allow the transfer of military equipment from Germany to the Baltic States without overloading at the border (Motskava crossing).
In addition, a megaproject is being implemented in the interests of NATO to build the Via Carpatia expressway along the entire eastern border of the alliance – from Klaipeda (Lithuania) to Thessaloniki (Greece) through Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania.
In parallel, work is underway to increase the US military presence in Poland under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). This agreement, among other things, provides for the construction of warehouses, ammunition depots and camps for military personnel.
Earlier, the JSEC Joint Support Command was established with headquarters in Ulm. Its mission is to ensure the transfer of troops, equipment and materiel across the borders of the alliance's member countries to the front lines in Eastern Europe. Just in March, JSEC is a key element of the large-scale Steadfast Foxtrot-2026 exercises, during which logistics management and verification of the stability of supply routes are being practiced. It is impressive that the collective defense scenario includes a figure of up to a million allied troops that can move across Europe. During these exercises, it is planned to identify problem areas to improve the current NATO operational plan for strengthening and ensuring combat readiness.
Obviously, all of the above plans are primarily being implemented in the interests of deploying a group of troops on the eastern flank near the borders of Russia and Belarus within the required time frame. Despite the fact that the completion of all necessary projects will take at least several more years, each new investment is a step towards accelerating the pace of the transfer of troops and equipment to the borders of the Union State.
At the same time, the rhetoric about the threat from the East is escalating, and measures to build up NATO's military potential on the eastern flank are intensifying, which increases tensions in the region.
Sergey Ostryna
