The once solidly “neutral” Nordic nations in Northern Europe are taking precautions to ready their citizens to be able to cope under war-like conditions as the security apparatus on the continent continues to deteriorate amid the war in Ukraine.
Sweden on Monday issued pamphlets to millions giving directions on what to do in the event that war breaks out or the nation is hit with an unexpected crisis.
The booklet, dubbed “In case of crisis or war,” has not only been updated from its previous version six years ago due to the worsening security situation in Europe, but it was also expanded and is nearly twice the size, reported the BBC.
The new version of the preparedness booklet “If the crisis or war comes” will be distributed to all households. (Claudio BRESCIANI/TT News Agency/ AFP/Sweden OUT via Getty Images)
Issuing preparedness booklets out to its citizens is not new for Sweden, which has followed this practice since World War II when its first version titled “If War Comes” was reportedly distributed.
The guidance was updated during the Cold War, but one directive apparently highlighted in the middle of the booklet has been pushed forward noting that, “If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false.”
Sweden, like Finland before it, joined NATO earlier this year after first announcing its bid to do so in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
French soldiers from the 93rd mountain artillery regiment operate the Camion Equipe d’un Systeme d’Artillerie, also known as CAESAR, a French 155 mm, 52-caliber self-propelled howitzer that can fire 39/52 caliber NATO-standard, during the NATO Exercise Dynamic Front, on Nov. 17, 2024 near Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland. (JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
Sweden’s Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin has also been sounding the alarm that “there could be war in Sweden” in a move to urge officials to bolster Stockholm’s defenses faster.
Unlike Sweden, neighboring Finland maintained a stronger defensive posture given its shared border with Russia, despite maintaining a decades-long neutrality status following World War II.
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But Finland, which joined NATO in 2023, also distributed its crisis preparedness on Monday, though its guidance was released by means of a digital copy for its citizens due to the cost of printing the booklets, noted the BBC.
Finnish border guards speak to a group of Russian-speaking men trying to cross the border from Finland to Russia at Vaalimaa border check point in Virolahti, Finland, Dec. 15, 2023. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/via REUTERS)
The Finnish government said it is “well-prepared for self-defense” and assured its citizens that hostile parties threatening Helsinki does not necessarily mean it will be presented through direct military force, noting that in the event of an emergency the Finns should be prepared in case of long power or water outages, as well as disruptions to banking or internet services.
Similarly, Norway, which was a NATO founding member in 1949, released a pamphlet urging Norwegians to be prepared to cope for up to a week in the event of war, crises or extreme weather.
Over 2 million copies were sent out, urging citizens to have canned foods, pasta, pet food, water, matches, candles, first aid kits and medicines in store, including iodine tablets.
Russian servicemen take a group photo near a US M2 Bradley fighting vehicle captured in Ukraine by Russian troops. Tanks and armored transports, previously used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and NATO allies and captured during operations in Kharkiv and Sumy. These exhibits feature machinery from the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Turkey, Finland, and Ukraine were on display in St. Petersburg. (Artem Priakhin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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“The tablets can protect against radioactive iodine in the event of nuclear accidents and must only be taken on instruction from the authorities,” the Norwegian government said in its instructions.
Denmark also encouraged its citizens over the summer to ensure they had three-days’ worth of essential items in store to help get through a crisis situation.
Western leaders continue to monitor Russia’s war in Ukraine very closely, and have warned Moscow that any attack on a NATO nation will result in a united response from all 32 nations.
