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.
More Worthy News
Israel is preparing to significantly escalate its military operations in Gaza following the collapse of hostage deal negotiations, a senior defense official said Monday. The move will include a major call-up of reservists and intensified fighting across the Strip.
An Israeli official said Monday that there is “no chance” Israel will accept a proposed five-year truce with Hamas currently being discussed by Arab mediators, rejecting it as a plan that would allow the terror group to “rearm, recover, and continue its war” against Israel.
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio discuss the ongoing negotiations for peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Paramedics were seen carrying the injured from a prison in Yemen’s province of Sadaa after Houthi rebels said at least 68 people were killed in a U.S. airstrike on the detention facility.
Spain and Portugal have been hit by massive power outages, while in the Netherlands, several municipal online services were affected by a suspected Russian cyber attack, Worthy News monitored.
Millions of Canadians are heading to the polls Monday in early elections overshadowed by the bloodshed in Vancouver, where a car hit a festival crowd over the weekend, killing 11, and concerns about future relations with the United States.
Israel carried out a precision airstrike Sunday on a Hezbollah missile warehouse in Beirut’s Dahieh district, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in a joint statement, warning that the facility “posed a significant threat to Israel.”