The European Union is telling its close to 450 million residents to put together 72-hour survival kits in case of a crisis or emergency situation.
Hadja Lahbi, the EU’s commissioner for preparedness and crisis management, said in a video post the survival kit should include water, a flashlight, matches, lighters, phone chargers, power banks, cash, important documents in waterproof holders, a portable radio, food and a Swiss Army knife.
European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said the short-term survival kits are part of a wider, new preparedness push that includes stockpiling key materials, education campaigns and more regional military and security operations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
“New realities demand new preparedness,” she said.
European countries face new realities of President Donald Trump in power in the U.S.
Trump could potentially pull the U.S. out of NATO or might not come to the defense of European allies who have not met his thresholds for defense spending.
NATO was established after World War II to counteract the Soviet Union. It is now focused on Russia.
President Donald Trump walks from the Oval Office to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House en route to Florida, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Trump has voiced trust and some fraternity with Putin. The U.S. voted with Russia and against Europe and Ukraine on United Nations resolutions regarding Moscow’s 2022 invasion.
The Kremlin has said Trump and Putin trust each other and the U.S. is more on the same page with Russia.
Trump and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance have also scolded Denmark over Greenland (which Trump wants to take over) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the war with Russia.
Zelenskyy has pushed back on Trump’s trust in Putin, has declined to sign a minerals deal with the U.S. that has lacked security assurances and doesn’t want to treat previous U.S. war aid as debt.
Trump says the U.S. has sent $350 billion in war aid to Ukraine. Other estimates put that figures at $123 billion to $203 billion.
European powers have promised to step up their support for Ukraine and have pushed back against Putin’s demand for war sanctions relief as part of a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea.
Trump is also imposing automotive, steel and aluminum tariffs that are poised to hit the European Union and has threatened 200% tariffs on French Champagnes and European wines.
The EU is promising its own tariffs against the U.S. in retaliation for the tariffs.
“Tariffs are taxes – bad for businesses, worse for consumers, in the U.S. and the EU,” von der Leyen said.
European countries are worried about Putin's aggression toward other NATO members if he prevails in Ukraine and Trump backs out of the alliance. Putin has been upset with NATO's adding Eastern European members.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the plenary session of the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk, Russia, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
They also face continued challenges of extreme weather/climate change, post-pandemic as well climate and conflict induced migrations and violence involving migrants, including radical Islamists.
Vance has scolded Europeans over free speech issues as well as climate change since taking office with Trump in January. He also criticized Denmark (a NATO ally) over security concerns in Greenland. Trump wants American control of the Arctic island, which is currently part of Denmark.
The EU has 27 members while NATO has 32 members (including the U.S. Canada, the United Kingdom and European nations.).
The EU includes France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Czechia, Belgium and other European countries. They are also NATO members.
Trump and Putin oppose Ukraine joining NATO. Zelenskyy also want to join the EU.
