00:00EU leaders have asked officials to draft a plan on how the bloc's mutual assistance clause would work, amid growing
00:08doubts over U.S. commitment to NATO.
00:10The move focuses on Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty, a provision that requires member states to assist any
00:18country under attack.
00:21Attention on the clause has increased as President Donald Trump raises questions about Washington's role in defending NATO allies.
00:30EU leaders say it is time to define how the mechanism would function in practice, as it currently lacks clear
00:35operational structures.
00:38Unlike NATO's Article 5, the cornerstone of European defence, the EU's clause has been used only once, after the 2015
00:45Paris attacks.
00:47Cyprus, which hosted the summit, has been pushing for clarity on the matter after a drone strike near a British
00:53base on the island during the Iran conflict.
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