“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s unofficial support for Russia have only heightened concerns about the security of the EU’s ports,” says a recent report from the Warsaw-based Centre for Eastern Studies think tank.
One example of the kind of strategic entanglement the EU is now confronting is playing out in Poland, at the Gdynia Container Terminal, where Hutchison has held a stake for over 20 years.
That situation could change. Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who wants Chinese-linked companies out of the Panama Canal, Hutchison is negotiating a $23 billion sale of port properties worldwide, including 14 in Europe, to a consortium led by BlackRock and including Mediterranean Shipping Company. However, that deal hit a wall in March after Beijing intervened.
What makes Gdynia especially revealing isn’t just the trade it handles — it’s what sits next door: a naval base, a shipyard, and the headquarters of Poland’s elite naval special forces, meaning that whoever runs the terminal holds a front-row seat to European and NATO military logistics and defense operations.
Recognizing the strategic significance, the Polish government has listed the terminal as critical infrastructure, meaning the operator has to work closely with the government on security.
This high-stakes backdrop sharpens the edge of Pedro’s warning — and underscores why the EU is now reassessing foreign involvement in its ports with renewed urgency.
“If a foreign adversary exploits a vulnerability in one European port, it jeopardizes all of us,” she said. “In today’s world, we cannot afford strategic blindness while others act with full visibility and intent.”