The European Union has warned the bloc's entire population of almost 45 million to prepare for a World War-like situation. The EU urged citizens to stockpile essential items, including food and water to last at least 72 hours, as war, cyberattacks, climate change and disease increase the chances of a crisis. The call to action for EU citizens comes as the 27-nation bloc rethinks its security, especially after the Trump administration warned that Europe must take more responsibility for its security.
According to the report titled 'EU Preparedness Union Strategy to prevent and react to emerging threats and crises', the EU said that it "needs to be ready to protect its citizens and the key societal functions that are crucial for democracy and daily life", due to factors such as "growing geopolitical tensions and conflicts, hybrid and cybersecurity threats, foreign information manipulation and interference, to climate change and increasing natural disasters."
Russia remains "most significant threat": Rutte
Additionally, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that Russia could be capable of launching another attack in Europe by 2030. His remarks have come after a Russian missile strike in Ukraine's Sumy claimed the lives of dozens of people, according to a report.
Rutte stressed that Russia remains the "most significant and dark threat to our alliance", as he added, "Let's not forget that Russia is moving into a wartime economy, and that will have a huge impact on their capacity and capability to build their armed forces."
Russian media claims Moscow fired cruise missiles in Sea of Japan: Report
Moreover, the Russian state media claimed that the Kremlin also fired cruise missiles in the Sea of Japan, which reportedly hit a target some 620 miles away in the Khabarovsk region.
Last year, Sweden updated its Cold War-era civil emergency advice “to better reflect today's security policy reality” such as what to do in case of nuclear attack.
Not all EU countries have the same level of crisis preparedness, and the commission also wants to encourage them to coordinate better in case of emergency.
(With inputs from AP)