The updated version of the “In case of crisis or war” leaflet that Nordic citizens have already started receiving in their mailboxes.
Nordic countries began preparing citizens for “if crisis or war comes” after the threat escalated in the face of Ukraine allowing the use of long-range missiles. And the use of French weapons “is an option”.
As ZAP already said earlier this month, Sweden, Finland and Norway are warning their respective citizens to prepare for a potential war, given the worsening situation in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it was announced this Monday.
The three Nordic countries — two of which (Finland and Norway) have land borders with Russia — have begun to prepare their populations with advice for “it’s a crisis or a life of war”after, this weekend, Ukraine received a request from the United States to use long-range missiles on Russian territory, the British public broadcaster reported.
The authorization, given by President Joe Biden after months of hesitation and about two months before leaving the White House, has already received a reaction from the Kremlin, which accused the US of shooting gasoline for the fire.
“If war comes.” Flyer doubled in size
Sweden
This Monday, millions of Swedes began to receive in their mailboxes a version of the pamphlet “If crisis or war comes”, which advises the population on how to prepare for and face a war.
The pamphlet had already been distributed when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but now it’s twice the size and advice.
For Swedes, the idea of a civil emergency leaflet is nothing new. The first edition of “If War Comes” was produced during World War II and was updated during the Cold War.
However, one of the passages in the text was changed, as it was associated with the time when the country was still neutral: “If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information that resistance must cease is false.”
Finland
Neighboring Finland also published new advice online on “preparedness for incidents and crises”.
The content published online by Finnish entities includes a section on military conflicts, which explains how the Government and the President would respond in the event of an armed attack, highlighting that authorities are “well prepared for self-defense”.
Norway
The Norwegians received a pamphlet urging them to be prepared to survive alone for a week in “the case of extreme weather conditions, war or other threats”.
The list of preparations released by Norway includes the suggestion that long-lasting foods, such as cans of beans, energy bars and pasta, be purchased and stored, as well as medicines, including iodine tablets, in case of nuclear accident.
“We must be prepared for, in the worst case scenario, acts of war.”
Oslo sent an earlier version of the list in 2018, but has now supplemented it with the argument that more extreme weather events, such as floods and landslides, have brought increased risks.
Denmark
Back in the summer, Denmark’s emergency management agency announced it would email Danish adults details on how to keep three days’ worth of water, food and medicine needed in case of a crisis.
Paris admits use of French weapons by kyiv
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot reiterated this Monday that the use of French missiles by Ukrainian forces against Russian territory remains “an option”.
“They heard from President (Emmanuel) Macron in Meseberg (Germany) on May 25th, where we openly said that it was an option that we would consider, if we had to authorize attacks on targets from which the Russians attack Ukrainian territory,” he said. Barrot in Brussels where he participates in a meeting of foreign ministers. “Therefore, nothing new under the sun”, he added.
France has supplied Scalp medium-range surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine, but has consistently refused to say how many projectiles have been delivered or whether they have ever been used by Ukrainian forces.
Asked in Brussels last month about possible Scalp missile attacks on Russian soil, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu refused to comment.
An attack on one is an attack on all
After decades of neutrality, Sweden (in March this year) and Finland (in April 2023) became part of the NATOhaving decided to apply to the Atlantic Alliance after Moscow advanced into Ukrainian territory.
Norway was a founding member of the US-led Western Defensive Alliance, whose founding treaty includes the , which states that an armed attack against one or more countries in the bloc will be considered an attack on all.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24, 2022, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
