More Dutch preparing emergency packs as NATO chief Rutte warns of war readiness
“We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years,” NATO chief Mark Rutte said about a war a coming war in his first major speech since taking the job. The alliance needs to “shift to a wartime mindset,” he warned. And more Netherlands residents seem to be giving heed and preparing emergency packs.
“I’ll be honest: the security situation does not look good. It’s undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime,” Rutte said, speaking at an event in Brussels on Thursday. “From Brussels, it takes one day to drive to Ukraine. One day. That’s how close the Russian bombs are falling. It’s how close the Iranian drones are flying. And not very much further, the North Korean soldiers are fighting.”
NATO members, Canada and European Union countries in particular need to “shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge our defense production and defense spending,” Rutte said. Russia’s economy is already “on a war footing,” with the country set to spend 7 to 8 percent of its GDP on its military next year, a third of Russia’s state budget.
“This all points in one clear direction: Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation. With Ukraine. And with us,” Rutte said. He stressed that there is no imminent military threat to the 32 NATO allies. “But it’s tomorrow I’m worried about.”
The current standard for NATO is that allied nations spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense, though they don’t all meet the target. During the Cold War, members spent upwards of 3 percent of their GDP on defense, Rutte said. “If we don’t spend more together now to prevent war, we will pay a much, much, much higher price later to fight it.”
“Russia, China, but also North Korea and Iran, are hard at work to try to weaken North America and Europe. To chip away at our freedom,” Rutte said. “No, we are not at war. But we are certainly not at peace either.”
More Dutch preparing emergency kits
With that ominous warning ringing in their ears, more Dutch people are taking steps to be prepared for an emergency, like ensuring that they have the basic necessities available at home, NOS reported.
“We now have ten times more internet orders than normal,” Luuk van der Ruit, the owner of a prep shop where you can buy emergency kits and other items you might need, told the broadcaster. The demand for his products has increased in recent years and he is struggling to keep up with the current peak in orders. “At the end of each day, I have more orders than at the beginning of the day. Everything something big is in the news, you see a peak.”
The Red Cross also receives daily phone calls about emergency preparedness and recognizes the peak moments. “Especially when something happens nearby, such as the flooding in Spain. We were called then too. Or last summer with the power outage in Eindhoven,” a spokesperson said.
Earlier this week, the Dutch Banking Association said it was working on advice for Dutch people to keep a certain amount of cash at home for emergencies. ATM operator Geldmaat noticed more cash withdrawals after that announcement.
But still, taking steps to be prepared is not typical Dutch behavior, Ipsos I&O pollster Peter Kanne told NOS. “Three-quarters of the Dutch say: I want to enjoy today and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
The government wants to change that mindset and has launched a national campaign to inform citizens on what they can do to prepare for threats. That includes having an emergency kit at home with at least enough water and non-perishable foods, and preferably also a radio, torch and batteries, a first-aid kit, a whistle to signal for help, cash, and copies of all your important documents.
