By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The European Union has urged its 450 million citizens to stockpile food, water, and other essentials to last at least 72 hours amid mounting concerns that the war in Ukraine will escalate into a broader armed conflict.
Other threats such as cyberattacks, “climate change,” and disease also increase the chances of a crisis, according to the European Commission, the EU’s executive.
Hadja Lahbib, the European commissioner in charge of preparedness and crisis management, said that concerns differed across the bloc but that all citizens should make an effort to be prepared for emergencies.
“Ready for anything – this must be our new European way of life,” she wrote on media platform Х, formerly Twitter.
In a social media video message, Lahbib listed items essential to survive 72 hours in a crisis, from food and water to a flashlight, power bank, radio, cash, and medication.
The call to action comes as the 27-nation EU rethinks security after the administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump warned that Europe must take more responsibility for its defense.
In recent years, the EU weathered the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat from Russia, including its perceived attempts to exploit Europe’s dependence on its natural gas to weaken support for Ukraine.
WAR MONGERING?
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned that Russia could be capable of launching another attack in Europe by 2030, as Moscow already invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Critics have accused him of warmongering, prompting the EU to allocate 800 billion euros ($863.5 billion) to “rearm Europe.”
Yet the Commission said in its new EU
Preparedness Union Strategy, monitored by Worthy News on Thursday, said that the bloc was preparing for risks, including the possibility of armed aggression as well as natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and geopolitical crises.
“Families living in flood zones should know what to do when the waters rise,”
said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Early warning systems can prevent regions hit by wildfires from losing precious time,” she stressed.
The strategy focuses on improving early warning systems, ensuring the continuity of essential services such as healthcare and drinking water, and helping citizens prepare for crises.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
South Korea, long seen as the democratic opposite of its authoritarian-ruled northern neighbor, faces growing scrutiny for what critics call a widening crackdown on Christian leaders and churches.
Hungary’s prime minister told U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Friday that it would take a miracle for Ukraine to win the war against Russia. Viktor Orbán made the remarks at the White House, where Trump asked him during a joint news conference about the prospects for Kyiv’s victory.
Hungarian prosecutors have requested a two-year suspended prison sentence for Gábor Iványi, a 76-year-old Methodist pastor, once a close confidant of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and several opposition politicians, in a case widely viewed as politically charged.
In a decision that could reshape federal identification standards, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to enforce its policy requiring Americans to list their biological sex–male or female–on passports, rather than self-identified gender.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R–S.D.) told Republican senators Thursday to prepare for a critical Friday vote aimed at ending the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown — now in its sixth week — as lawmakers scramble to reach a deal amid growing economic strain and partisan stalemate.
The Senate on Thursday narrowly rejected a Democratic resolution that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking military action against Venezuela, marking the second failed attempt in as many months to rein in the administration’s campaign targeting Venezuelan drug-trafficking vessels.
Kazakhstan has officially joined the Abraham Accords, becoming the first country to do so during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, the White House confirmed Thursday evening.