NATO is proactively establishing “land corridors” to enable the rapid deployment of U.S. troops and allied military forces to the front lines in the event of a larger-scale European ground war with Russia. The move comes in response to multiple warnings from NATO leaders earlier this year, urging Western governments to prepare for a potential war with Russia within the next two decades.
The new military pathways would see American soldiers deploying to one of five designated ports before being transported along pre-established routes, depending on the nature of a potential attack by Moscow. These new routes would build upon existing ones that have been in place since 2023, when the alliance agreed to maintain 300,000 troops in a state of high readiness.
Currently, U.S. forces would land at ports in the Netherlands before being transported through Germany and on to Poland via train. In the event of a Russian invasion of a NATO ally, U.S. forces would be rallied to Rotterdam before heading east. NATO is also preparing to adjust troop entry points in case Russia attacks the Netherlands or destroys ports in northern Europe.
Alternative plans could involve U.S. troops arriving at Italian ports and traveling through Slovenia and Croatia to Ukraine-bordering Hungary, or being dispatched to ports in Turkey or Greece before proceeding to Bulgaria and Romania to reach the eastern part of the alliance.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions with Russia, as President Vladimir Putin recently warned that Moscow could provide long-range weapons for its allies to use against Western targets and alluded to the potential use of nuclear weapons if Russia’s authority is threatened.
