Europe’s largest port in Rotterdam is preparing for a potential military confrontation between NATO and Russia by reserving space for vessels carrying military cargo and developing contingency plans for redirecting these supplies during wartime, The Financial Times reports.
According to the paper, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced in May that, at NATO’s request, Rotterdam would allocate several berths for ships transporting military equipment. The Rotterdam container terminal is currently the only location in the port where ammunition can be safely transferred from one ship to another.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, told the newspaper that one or more ships will dock at a dedicated quay for several weeks, four or five times a year. Military drills will also be conducted multiple times annually. The FT notes that while the Rotterdam port has previously handled military equipment, it had never designated a specific quay for such operations.
Siemons explained that the port will coordinate with neighboring Antwerp should British, American, or Canadian military vehicles and supplies arrive.
“Not every terminal is suitable for handling military cargo,” he said. “If large volumes were to arrive, we would turn to Antwerp or other ports to share the load—and vice versa. We're increasingly seeing each other less as competitors.”
Antwerp, the article notes, regularly handles shipments for American troops stationed in Europe. As the second-largest port in the European Union, Antwerp processes approximately 240 million tons of cargo per year. By comparison, Rotterdam handles about 436 million tons annually, welcoming 28,000 sea-going and 91,000 inland vessels from Germany and across Europe.
Fears of a potential Russian attack on NATO members began to surface following the start of the military operation in Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in June referred to 2030 as a possible timeline, citing “high-ranking military officials.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has dismissed such warnings as “an outrageous lie,” insisting that Russia has no intention of attacking European or NATO countries.
