UK urges emergency‑kit readiness and proposes European defence and security union

A list of nine essential items was published for households to keep ready for emergencies amid heightened war and disaster fears linked to Russian threats. At the same time, the United Kingdom has urged the creation of a European defence and security union that would bring together EU states, Norway, Iceland, Ukraine and other like‑minded nations. The proposal calls for collective defence to cover cyber assaults and sabotage of power grids, cables and pipelines, and suggests a permanent joint cyber command and a maritime task force to protect critical infrastructure. The plan is intended to sit outside EU treaties, sidestepping post‑Brexit constraints and positioning the UK as a central player in the new arrangement.