Poland urges NATO to extend fuel pipeline network to eastern flank

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said Wednesday that expanding NATO’s fuel infrastructure to the alliance’s eastern flank should become a strategic priority for Central Europe.

Speaking on arrival at the NATO summit in Ankara, Nawrocki said expanding NATO’s fuel infrastructure should become a strategic priority for Central Europe.

“The dual-use nature of pipelines provides the opportunity to build security for NATO’s entire eastern flank, so this is also an opportunity for me and all of Central Europe to raise this issue once again,” he told reporters.

The proposal centers on extending NATO’s existing fuel pipeline network, originally developed during the Cold War to ensure secure fuel supplies for allied forces in Western Europe.

Military planners have increasingly identified fuel distribution as a potential vulnerability in any large-scale conflict on NATO’s eastern flank.

An expanded network would improve the alliance’s ability to move fuel rapidly to forces deployed in Poland and neighboring frontline states, reducing reliance on road and rail transport, which could be vulnerable to disruption during a conflict.

Warsaw has consistently argued that deterrence depends not only on additional troops and equipment, but also on the infrastructure needed to sustain military operations, including transport networks, ammunition depots and fuel supplies.

If approved, extending the pipeline network eastward could become one of Europe’s largest strategic infrastructure projects, requiring close cooperation among NATO allies and significant long-term investment.

Nawrocki said the project would have both military and civilian benefits, describing it as dual-use infrastructure that would enhance regional resilience while supporting NATO’s collective defense posture.

The initiative complements Poland’s broader push at the summit for a stronger allied presence in Central Europe, including a larger permanent US military presence and enhanced defense capabilities along NATO’s border with Russia and Belarus.