NATO allies nearing deal on Cold War-era fuel pipeline expansion
NATO members are close to an agreement to expand the Cold War-era fuel pipeline network to Eastern Europe and Turkey to ensure fuel supplies during crises.
According to Bloomberg, citing sources, NATO allies are close to reaching an agreement to expand the Cold War-era fuel pipeline system to Eastern Europe and Turkey. The decision is expected to be announced on Wednesday at the NATO summit in Ankara after years of discussions.
The pipelines connect allied military bases, helping to supply fuel in crisis situations. This initiative reflects growing concerns that the pipeline network concentrated in Western Europe may be insufficient to support large-scale operations near Russia's borders. Most countries on the eastern flank rely on road and rail infrastructure, which is more vulnerable to congestion and attacks.
According to a source, this project could become the largest investment in NATO history, with costs reaching $30 billion over two decades. Technical details, including financing and the order of expansion, still need to be finalized in the coming weeks. NATO is expected to cover the majority of funding, with eastern flank countries covering the remainder.
The main beneficiaries of the project will be Poland, the Baltic states, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The alliance has been studying the possibility of expanding the so-called Central European Pipeline System eastward for years, but the scale of the project raised concerns among many allies about its feasibility. The project aims to improve NATO's ability to supply fuel to aircraft, vehicles, and military facilities. Its importance only grew after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Earlier reports indicated that aviation fuel supplies via NATO's pipeline system in Central Europe were disrupted by military operations, putting pressure on already constrained supply chains. The Polish government urged NATO to expand the pipeline system to Eastern Europe, which is most vulnerable to armed conflicts. As early as February 2025, it was reported that NATO wanted to build a pipeline to supply fuel to the eastern flank in the event of war on its territory.
