NATO countries preparing populations for war – media

Norway, Sweden and Finland are reportedly urging citizens to stock up on essentials to get through the first few days of a crisis

Several Nordic countries have published information advising their populations on how to prepare for a possible war or other unexpected crises, multiple media outlets have reported.

Sweden started sending out millions of updated booklets this week titled “In case of crisis or war.” This year’s pamphlet is twice as large as the last edition because of what the government describes as a worsening security situation due to the Ukraine conflict.

“The security situation is serious and we all need to strengthen our resilience to face various crises and ultimately war,” Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency director Mikael Frisell has stated.

Finland has launched a new website on “preparing for incidents and crises,” while Norwegians have reportedly begun receiving pamphlets urging them to be prepared to manage on their own for a week in the event of extreme weather, war or other threats.

The guides include instructions on what to do in the event of several scenarios and ask citizens to make sure they can take care of themselves, at least initially, in the event of a crisis.

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Finns are urged to be prepared to cope with power outages during the winter months with a back-up power supply, iodine tablets (used to protect the thyroid gland from the effects of radiation) and easy-to-cook foods. The Finnish online brochure also explains how the government plans to respond in case the country is under attack.

Recommendations in Sweden include keeping enough food and drinking water for 72 hours, suggesting citizens stock up on potatoes, cabbage, carrots and eggs.

Earlier this year, Denmark’s emergency management agency informed the public on how much water, food and medicine individuals needed to get through a crisis situation lasting three days.

Both Stockholm and Helsinki recently dropped decades of military non-alliance to join NATO after hostilities broke out between Russia and Ukraine. Sweden, the newest addition to the US-led military bloc, joined this year; Finland did so in 2023. Norway and Denmark were among its founding members.