NATO Article 5 has been resonating for years and, with Donald Trump involved, even more so. The war in Ukraine and the persistent Russian threat to Europe made it fashionable and the latest events or statements about Greenland or Iran have once again placed it in the headlines. But it is not the only article that talks about ‘mutual defense’ within supranational organizations. The European Union has its particular ‘article 5’which in this case is .
It is not something new at all. It was already talked about—we—at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But since Ukraine was not part of the EU, it remained as a mere reference. Also with Greenlandwhich despite not being purely EU, does belong to Denmark, a member state of ‘the Twenty-Seven’.
Denmark and the other twenty-six countries are now together, in one Informal leaders’ summit in Cyprus. And in a multi-thematic debate table, he has once again talk about its article 42.7. Or what is the same, the ‘mutual defense’ clause within the EU.
It was done first by the host of the event, the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides. “We have article 42.7, and we don’t know what will happen if a member state activates it, the Mediterranean president noted in initial statements to AP.
Although the 42.7 It has only been activated onceis a fundamental tool due to its possible coverage. Its activation took place in 2015, requested by France after the chain of terrorist attacks in Paris in October.
For Cyprus it is more than just extra shielding. Unlike practically the entire EU, the island does not belong to NATO, so an attack on its territory would not force any member of the Atlantic alliance to respond.
And Cyprus has already felt, slightly, the fear of an attack from a third country. It was recently, when .
“I think that in Europe we have to be able to take care of ourselves“, he pointed to Europe Today and taking advantage of the Cyprus summit, the former Secretary General of NATO, the Dane Anders Fogh Rasmussenin line with the message that the Council and especially the European Commission have been transmitting for years.
The intention of Von der Leyen and other senior officials fits with the messages of contempt sent by the Trump Administration; the last one, the secretary of war, Pete Hegseththat this Thursday He reproached Europe for “having been benefiting from the protection of the United States for some time.”” y .
