Europe’s largest port, Rotterdam, is preparing for a potential conflict with Russia by reserving space for military cargo vessels and planning how to reroute shipments if war breaks out.

Source: Financial Times

Details: The port has previously handled military cargo, but even during the Cold War, there was no area specifically designated for such shipments. Now, part of a container terminal is being allocated for these needs, the article says.

“Boudewijn Siemons, chief executive of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said it was coordinating with neighbour Antwerp on how to manage if British, US and Canadian vehicles and supplies arrived,” Financial Times reports.

In regards to the coordination with the Belgian port, it was stated that “we see each other less and less as competitors.” If a large volume of arms was to arrive, Rotterdam plans to turn to Antwerp or other ports to offload part of the shipments.

Rotterdam is also a strategic oil storage site. Siemons called on European countries to stockpile other critical resources such as copper, lithium and graphite. On 8 July, the EU is expected to unveil a strategy for building reserves of essential goods – including medical and energy equipment, food, and water.

Background:

Earlier reports indicated that Russia used a military vessel to escort sanctioned tankers through the English Channel. Two sanctioned tankers and a Russian navy ship entered the channel simultaneously, heading to Russian ports to load oil.Russia has also started escorting shadow fleet tankers in the Gulf of Finland with warships. The Finnish Navy has confirmed that there has been increased military activity in the region.Meanwhile, Denmark has begun deploying maritime drones in the Baltic Sea to help protect underwater infrastructure and monitor vessels amid growing hybrid threats from Russia.France’s navy has also, for the first time, deployed the 101-metre-long intelligence ship Dupuy de Lôme to the Baltic to intercept radio signals linked to Russian activity.It was also previously reported that Donald Trump’s unstable customs policy, combined with low water levels in rivers, triggered Europe’s worst logistics disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic. The ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg are the most congested, and the situation is expected to last for several more months.

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