Responding positively to a request made by the Biden Administration about two weeks ago, the European Union yesterday admitted the United States to an internal European Union project aimed at easing the flow of military forces across the continent. This involves actions traditionally handled by NATO: Cutting through the red tape of cross-border logistics and putting in place transportation infrastructure capable of shipping a sizable fighting force to points east.
Led by the Netherlands, the Military Mobility Permanent European Security Cooperation (PESCO) project is designed to “simplify and standardize cross-border military transport procedures,” according to the EU Commission website, “avoiding long bureaucratic procedures to move through or over EU member states, be it via rail, road, air or sea.”
The U.S. request to join the project “not only aligns with ongoing and complementary work at NATO but is a critical step to identify how the United States and the EU can work together in other PESCO projects and to inform possible U.S.-EU cooperation under other EU defense initiatives,” Pentagon spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell told Defense News 12 days ago, anticipating a positive EU decision.
“The United States welcomes swift EU approval for U.S. participation in Military Mobility in line with EU and member state commitments that EU defense initiatives are open to the United States,” she stated. Pentagon officials consider Military Mobility participation as something of a bellwether because all 25 EU members signed up for PESCO are represented in the effort.
