A recent report advises EU citizens to stock up on essential supplies to be prepared for various potential disasters, including nuclear incidents.
Published on Wednesday by former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, the initiative aims to enhance the EU’s resilience in the face of increasing threats, from natural disasters to major military conflicts.
The report recommends that EU households maintain a stockpile of basic necessities sufficient for at least 72 hours to prepare for potential shortages in the event of emergencies such as conventional armed aggression or other hostile activities like cyberattacks or the use of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons.
Earlier this year, Brussels tasked Finland’s former president with assessing the EU’s security needs following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, particularly addressing Russia’s intensifying hybrid operations. “One click can switch off power grids and plunge whole cities into the dark,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the presentation of the report.
The document also urges the EU to bolster its defense capabilities, recommending that around 20% of the common budget, currently valued at approximately €1 trillion ($1.08 trillion) over seven years, be allocated to security and crisis preparedness.
“Member States should strengthen their cooperation on European defense, jointly investing more to close long-standing gaps in our military and defense industrial readiness,” Niinisto stated, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to providing long-term aid for Ukraine.
The report also emphasizes the need to establish an anti-sabotage network to counter threats through improved information sharing, in light of rising concerns over perceived threats from Russia. “Given the increasing use of sabotage by hostile third countries, notably Russia, it is an area where internal security and military security are very much interlinked,” the report noted.
Niinisto also called for the gradual strengthening of EU intelligence structures, with the ultimate goal of developing a comprehensive EU intelligence cooperation service.
This report comes amid Western warnings about Russia’s alleged plans to target Western Europe if it secures a victory over Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed these claims as “nonsense,” and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has similarly described the allegations as “horror stories,” suggesting they were fabricated by Western leaders to divert attention from domestic issues.
For more details, visit the original report on RT News.