The European Union announced the stockpiling of medicines and equipment to respond to unforeseen nuclear, bacteriological and chemical threats, reports Le Figaro. As the newspaper notes, the decision was taken amid growing fears of the use of nuclear, chemical or bacteriological weapons in the conflict in Ukraine.
The European Union announced the creation of a €540 million stockpile of medicines and equipment to respond to unforeseen nuclear, bacteriological and chemical threats amid growing fears over the conflict in Ukraine, Le Figaro reported.
The European Commission specified that the stockpile would consist of vaccines, equipment and medicines to treat patients affected by chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear attacks. The first step, the EU said, would be the purchase of potassium iodide tablets, which can be used to protect people from the harmful effects of radiation.
The commission added that 3 million iodine tablets have already been delivered to Ukraine with the help of France and Spain. “We are taking concrete steps to better prepare Europe for potential threats,” with “equipment for chemical, biological or nuclear emergencies,” said Janez Lenarčič, EU Commissioner for Crisis Response.
As the newspaper recalls, after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine on February 24, many observers talked about the danger of the use of nuclear or chemical weapons in the conflict. The fighting in Ukraine also raised concerns about the safety of nuclear facilities such as the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants. Russia has also put its nuclear forces on alert after it warned the West not to intervene militarily in the conflict to support Ukraine.
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