NATO : E.U leaders exploring there options with new strategies as trump criticism for NATO intensifies

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

Brussels officials will draw up a plan on how to use the EU’s little-known mutual assistance pact in the event of a foreign attack, as Donald Trump’s criticism of Nato intensifies.

EU leaders have agreed that the European Commission “will prepare a blueprint” on how the bloc will respond if the mutual assistance clause is triggered, according to Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, who is hosting the talks.

They discussed the mutual defence clause, article 42.7 of the EU treaty, on Thursday night, before reports emerged that the US was exploring how to suspend Spain from Nato.

Trump, a long-term critic of the transatlantic military alliance, has stepped up his invective at “very disappointing Nato” after European countries refused to get involved in the US-Israeli war on Iran. This month he said he was “absolutely without question” considering withdrawing the US from Nato, pushing the 77-year-old alliance into the worst crisis in its history.

Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister – who has been the most vociferous European critic of the war in Iran – said on Friday that Spain was a loyal Nato member, while renewing his criticism of “the failure of brute force in the Middle East”.

In that context interest has been rekindled in the EU’s mutual assistance clause, which puts on member states “an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power” if a fellow country is attacked by a foreign government or non-state actor.

Speaking on Friday, the European Council president, António Costa, said: “We are designing the handbook [on] how to use this mutual assistance clause.” There had already been “a test case” in Cyprus, he added, referring to a recent drone strike on a British base on the island at the start of the latest Middle East conflict. Costa said: “Greece, and then France, Italy, Spain and [the] Netherlands mobilised military equipment and forces … to help Cyprus to defend from external attacks.” The Royal Navy, meanwhile, was heavily criticised for having a limited number of warships available for deployment.

France is the only country to have triggered article 42.7, after the 2015 Paris attacks, when militants killed 130 people in bars, restaurants, a stadium and at the Bataclan concert hall. France called on other member states to reinforce its overseas military commitments so it could redeploy troops for domestic security.

The lack of detail in the EU treaty on article 42.7 was previously seen as a strength, enabling a flexible response, but member states now feel uncertain about how it would work.

Christodoulides said: “Let’s say France triggers article 42.7. Which countries are going to be the first to respond to the request of the French government? What are the needs of the government or of the country that triggers article 42.7?” Such issues would be part of the blueprint, he said, to “have an operational plan to put in action” if and when article 42.7 was triggered.