NATO jet fuel pipeline extension to be discussed during Macron's visit to Poland

Polenergia SA

17/04/2026 13:30

WARSAW, April 17 (Reuters) - The eastwards extension of a Cold War-era pipeline network to ensure jet fuel supplies for NATO allies in the event of a conflict with Russia will be discussed on Monday when the French president visits Poland, the Polish energy minister said on Friday.

The 10,000-km (6,215-mile) network was built to serve Western air forces in any conflict with the then Soviet Union.

Today it serves military bases and civilian hubs such as Germany's biggest airport in Frankfurt. The jet fuel running through the NATO pipelines can also be used by ground vehicles, as mixing it with additives can make it usable for trucks and tanks that normally run on diesel.

The system spans 12 countries but currently ends in western Germany. Countries on NATO's eastern flank, including Poland, have long pushed for an expansion of the network.

"We will discuss expanding the dual-use infrastructure, enhancing fuel and military security, and ending the two-speed NATO," Polish Energy Minister Milosz Motyka told reporters on Friday.
"The NATO oil pipeline system should be extended to Eastern Europe, which is most vulnerable to military conflict but lack of mobility would also affect Western Europe, so the extension is our common interest."

The war with Iran has shone a spotlight on the risk to jet fuel supplies. The conflict has upended routes between Asia and Europe that relied on Gulf hubs, while a doubling of jet fuel prices and tightening of supplies are hitting airlines hard.

Motyka said Poland's planned second nuclear plant would also be on the agenda of the meetings during Macron's visit to Gdansk as France is among nations Warsaw has invited to discuss the project.

 (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki; Additional reporting by Kuba Stezycki; Editing by Alison Williams)

 ((Marek.Strzelecki@thomsonreuters.com;))