" … although in my time as minister for the Armed Forces, I did meet with the Swedish civil defense minister and in his country, citizens are provided with a booklet explaining what to do in time of war, including the sort of provisions they should hold just in case … It’s a stark reminder that war is a whole nation endeavour and, to be frank, in the UK we’re a very long way behind," Heappey said in a column in the British newspaper.
At the same time, he does not believe that the world is on the verge of World War Three, but shares the position of UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps that the world has entered the pre-war period.
"Secretaries of State have a desk and bed in the bunker … I suspect there are plenty of cabinet ministers who don’t even know where their desk or bed in the bunker is. There might even be one or two who don’t even know where the bunker is!" Heappey noted.
On Thursday, Shapps said that the world moved from the post-war to the pre-war era, urging NATO allies to think about the alliance's future. He also listed measures to protect democracy and the alliance, including redoubling efforts to support Ukraine, increasing defense spending by NATO members and strengthening the Euro-Atlantic defense sector.