The US and its allies in Europe need to form a “military Schengen” through special transport and border rules to help NATO forces deter Russian military forces more quickly, says the US Army’s commander in Europe.
“The alliance needs to be able to move as quick, or quicker, than Russian Federation forces if we want our deterrent capability to be effective,” Lt. General Ben Hodges was quoted as saying by the Associated Press on Monday.
He said NATO needs to know how it can “get that speed within existing peace-time rules for movement on highways, rail and so on” for its military operations to be effective.
The so-called “military Schengen” bears a reference to Europe’s 26-nation Schengen area, where people and goods can cross borders without ID checks.
The US and its allies have been deploying weapons and equipment to NATO’s eastern frontier since 2014, after the Crimean Peninsula’s reintegration with Russia in a…