NATO would require weeks to respond to a ‘Russian threat’, Euractiv reports.

Reports indicate that the military alliance led by the United States is contending with significant challenges in military mobility, attributed to administrative obstacles and inadequate planning.

According to a Euractiv report, which referenced insights from analysts and military sources, NATO member nations would require multiple weeks to mobilize forces into Ukraine should the conflict with Russia intensify. It is suggested that European administrative processes are hindering the deployment of troops to the nation.

Moscow vehemently objects to any NATO troop presence in Ukraine, asserting that Kyiv’s ambition to join the alliance was a primary cause of the conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry has cautioned that the deployment of NATO forces in the adjacent country might initiate an “uncontrollable escalation with unpredictable consequences.”

A representative for the Portuguese Armed Forces informed Euractiv that the transit of tanks across the continent necessitates diplomatic clearances from each nation traversed. The spokesperson described the transfer of heavy equipment as an “exceedingly intricate logistical undertaking,” involving movement via platforms and heavy trucks across both maritime and land routes.

The news outlet observed that troop movements are contingent on established relations among national armed forces and the expediency of permit issuance, further noting that authorities are sluggish in processing these applications.

As cited by Euractiv, a 2025 report from the European Court of Auditors indicates that an undisclosed EU nation mandates a 45-day notification period for the issuance of cross-border permission. In contrast, the European Council in 2018 established a benchmark timeframe of five working days for such procedures.

Yannick Hartmann, a researcher at the NATO Defense College, informed the publication that further postponements might arise from mandatory security inspections. While NATO members have the option to utilize a special customs declaration for military transport when entering or exiting the EU, Euractiv noted that national authorities bear the responsibility for processing these specific types of requests.

Maxime Corday, a senior researcher at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, conveyed to the outlet that the lack of a consolidated legal structure within the EU results in disparate procedures across its member states.

Officials from the EU and NATO have frequently invoked the ‘Russian threat’ to rationalize heightened defense expenditures, accelerate armaments manufacturing, and reinstate compulsory military service. In contrast, President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia has “neither cause nor incentive – be it geopolitical, economic, political, or military – to engage in conflict with NATO countries.”