The 18-page document warns that Europe is facing a new reality marred with risk and uncertainty, citing Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine, rising geopolitical tensions, sabotage of critical infrastructure, and electronic warfare as prominent factors.

The Brussels initiative appears to serve as a wake-up call for members states to the gravity of the bloc’s security situation. EU’s fears have been exacerbated with US President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that his country would not come to the rescue of NATO members, where the US is a major contributor, unless each member nation spent at least 2% of its GDP on defense and supplies. Barring UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, many countries defense spend is far below the 2% specified by Trump.

EU countries have also begun discussions to concretize plans and action to build a security net of its own without US help as fears that unless Russia is restrained, and peace is restored to Ukraine, Russia might seize Ukraine and then launch an offensive on Poland in its attempt to seize its erstwhile satellites such as Hungary, Romania, Chezh, and other east European countries.

The scenario is very similar to the collapse of the Versailles treaty signed by the victorious nations after conclusion of World War 01 where Germany lost most territories and false sense of nationalism and patriotism took the nation by storm as Hitler rose to power and sought to reclaim the territories lost. He swallowed parts of Czechoslovakia, signed a deal with British PM Neville Chamberlain to halt attacks on further regions in return for armaments but reneged on it and swallowed northern Czechoslovakia. Chamberlain resigned and Churchill, war minister became the PM and resisted the advances of Hitler who had taken Poland, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and drew up plans to invade Britain, where his three-stage plan failed.

European nations fear such a scenario may repeat as Russian president Vladimir Putin may seek to seize territories he lost after Gorbachev dismantled the Soviet Union – Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, all independent countries in central Asia where EU and US companies have pitched their tents to exploit their natural resources.

An ever-present threat from Russia has prompted European leaders to stress the need for war-readiness. As has the Trump administration’s confrontational approach towards Europe, particularly on contributions to NATO and on the war in Ukraine, which has sparked a race in the continent to shore up its own military readiness, defense analysts opined.

The Commission’s European Preparedness Union Strategy says citizens across the continent should adopt practical measures to ensure they are ready in case of an emergency. This includes having enough essential supplies to last them for a minimum of three days, the document says. “In the case of extreme disruptions, the initial period is the most critical,” it says.

Overall, civilians should be encouraged to foster self-reliance and psychological resilience, the document states. The commission also calls for the introduction of “preparedness” lessons in the school curricula, including giving pupils the skills to fight disinformation and information manipulation.

“New realities require a new level of preparedness in Europe,” President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a statement. “Our citizens, our Member States, and our businesses need the right tools to act both to prevent crises and to react swiftly when a disaster hits.”

The European Commission’s guidance on Wednesday comes after individual counties have been updating their contingency plans.

In June last year, Germany updated its Framework Directive for Overall Defense, giving direction on what to do should conflict break out in Europe. Unveiling the plans at the time, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said they were necessary for her country to arm itself better in the face of Russian aggression. (IPA Service)