Chronicle This is a chronicle, written by an external contributor. The chronicle expresses the writer’s attitudes.
Of course, it is against the tragic backdrop of the Russians’ completely reckless war of aggression against Ukraine that NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, in a special video interview from the night train from Warsaw to Kyiv, delivers an impassioned defense of how important railways are in both war and peace. It was published in DN last Friday.
He is not alone in using the “Kyiv Express” night train from Poland’s capital to Kyiv in Ukraine. The journey takes 10–12 hours, but Jens fully praises the Ukrainian personnel who keep the railway running while Russian missiles rain down on Ukraine. On board, there are first-class working conditions for Jens and his large staff. Superb meeting room with leather chairs, good hospitality. And they can sleep in good beds and get the food they need. Security is provided by Ukrainian and NATO guards.
– They keep the timetable at the minute when we roll into Kyiv, says Jens in full admiration. The train leaves Warsaw at 18.20 – and arrival in Kyiv is at 11 a.m. Then the visitors get a full working day of meetings with President Zelenskyi and his government. Sometimes with an overnight stay in Kyiv, or they can take the evening train back the same way back to Poland.
No, Jens is not alone. All the leaders of the free west come on this train. As early as March 22, 2022, while the Russians were in the process of encircling Kyiv, key EU summits led by the Prime Minister of Poland paid a solidarity visit to Zelenskyj. He had then answered the question whether he and his family should not flee with the historic answer “don’t send me a taxi, but ammunition”.
Exactly the same answer to the EU’s highly respected leader Ursula von der Leyen, Chancellor Olaf Shcoltz from Germany, British top leaders, American – and then the Norwegians. Everyone has discovered that the “Kyiv Express” works superbly – and so they get to work much more efficiently than on a plane and at the same time relax before hectic meetings. All thanks to the train.
The video interview with Jens Stoltenberg should henceforth introduce all railway conferences held both in Northern Norway and on the Nordkalotten.
The video interview with Jens Stoltenberg should henceforth initiate all railway conferences held both in Northern Norway and on Nordkalotten. His post shows the complete senselessness that Norway’s most important region in NATO defence, Northern Norway north of Narvik with its lack of railways, is defensively reset. This is also strongly emphasized by the role played by the railways in Ukraine.
Besides, we know that NATO aid by sea to Northern Norway, which our entire defense plan presupposes, is not something we can take for granted. The highly respected researcher Ståle Ulriksen from FHS/Naval School states in his strong analysis “The military power of the major powers: Military capacity and opportunities to contribute reinforcements to Norway” that we can no longer count on such help. There are not enough transport ships or forces large enough to quickly send them to the Nordic areas.
Should something bad happen that the USA elects Donald Trump as president for the period 2025-2029, then a further strong uncertainty is created both about NATO as an organization and the USA’s willingness to participate in the defense of Europe.
These preceding points have the consequence that Euro-NATO must rethink, and especially after Sweden and Finland have joined NATO. One of the big questions is how we are going to get to the Nordic areas the enormous amounts of equipment and ammunition that are required, almost continuously in a defensive war. Again with Ukraine as a grim reminder of how incredibly important this is.
Relief troops thus assuming that a soldier needs a 20-foot container of equipment. 20,000 soldiers and 20,000 containers are also moved (Swedish Defense Academy, 2023 seminar). The first NATO meeting that Sweden was responsible for after becoming a member was also about ammunition and supply logistics. It was in the NATO agency Mawi (Multinational Ammunition Warehousing Initiative). Norway is also a member here, but did not meet in Stockholm, despite the important point that ammunition that is produced in one place must ensure logistics to where the ammunition is to be used.
With that uncertainty prevailing today, Euro-NATO realizes that relief forces and much of the equipment must come by rail from Europe via southern Sweden to the North Calotten and Finland. Gothenburg is an important port, but not enough. Therefore, the Oslo area with its ports has been highlighted in the logistics plans, and with it again the strengthening of the railway from Oslo to Stockholm.
This is documented in a recent analysis by Sweco “Totalförsvaret, försvarsindustrin och järnvägen Oslo-Stockholm” for the company for high-speed trains between the two cities, Oslo-Stckh 2:55, and presented to the governments.
We can therefore experience that the cross-border track in southern Scandinavia is being expanded and that NATO reinforcements earmarked for e.g. Northern Norway is sent by train from Oslo via Sweden to Kiruna. Onward transport into Norway: trucks.
For the next ones 10 critical years, the above will force itself to the fore, because no matter what we decide about railways north of Narvik today, it is physically not possible to build a line north of Narvik or via Skibotn to Kolari in less than 10-15 years.
But this must not become a sleeping pad to avoid investing in a railway from Narvik/Bjerkvik to Tromsø, with a line to Skibotn-Finland and Skibotn-Alta. The Finnish Transport Minister Lulu Ranne came away shocked from Nordic Reponse in the Finnish Lapland-Finnmark border region and promised to address the need for strong investment in roads and railways in the north with the EU.
She did early in April – and received great support for the fact that the defense of Northern Europe requires this. No wonder that NATO-Jens and all the top politicians who are now flocking to wartime Ukraine see what the railway means. It is an insight and understanding that we must ensure is applied to railways and logistics north of Narvik.
Invite NATO-Jens up north as soon as possible!
