EU Weighs Clarifying Its Mutual-Defense Clause Without Upending NATO

EU leaders are weighing how Article 42.7, the bloc’s mutual‑defense clause, would function in a crisis and are planning May tabletop exercises to test scenarios while avoiding a clash with NATO; Cyprus is hosting discussions, and officials warn that clarifying the clause could affect U.S. commitment under Trump, even as they stress that NATO’s Article 5 remains the core security guarantee.