EU leaders have decided that the European Commission “will prepare a blueprint” outlining how the bloc will react if the lesser-known mutual assistance clause is activated, according to Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, who is leading the discussions.
They talked about the mutual defense clause, article 42.7 of the EU treaty, on Thursday evening, just before reports surfaced that the US was considering suspending Spain from NATO.
This comes as concerns grow about how the US might respond (or not) if a foreign attack occurs against allied countries, many of which he has openly criticized for not participating in his and Israel’s shared conflict with Iran, which has upset regional stability and impacted much of the global economy.
Earlier this month, Trump stated he was “absolutely without question” thinking about pulling the US out of NATO, pushing the 77-year-old alliance toward what could be its most serious crisis ever. Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s prime minister – who has been one of Europe’s strongest critics of the war in Iran – remarked on Friday that Spain remains a loyal NATO member while reiterating his criticism of “the failure of brute force in the Middle East.”
Source link
EU leaders seek ‘mutual assistance pact’ strategy amid Trump’s NATO remarks
Speaking on Friday, European Council president António Costa mentioned: “We are designing the handbook [on] how to use this mutual assistance clause.” He noted there had already been a “test case” in Cyprus referring to a recent drone strike on a British base during the current Middle East conflict. Costa explained: “Greece, followed by France, Italy, Spain and [the] Netherlands mobilized military equipment and forces … to assist Cyprus in defending against external threats.” Meanwhile, significant criticism was directed at the Royal Navy for having too few warships ready for deployment. Read the full storyTrump dispatches Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for Iran war talks
Donald Trump is sending his Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to continue discussions aimed at ending nearly eight weeks of conflict with Iran. The White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed their travel plans on Friday, stating that Witkoff and Kushner would meet with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Islamabad. Read the full storyCourt halts Trump’s executive order on asylum access
An appeals court on Friday blocked Donald Trump’s executive order that suspended access to asylum-a key part of his plan to tighten immigration control at the southern border following his return to office. Read the full storyDo J drops investigation into Jerome Powell
The US Department of Justice is closing its criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, paving the way for Donald Trump’s new nominee for chair to be approved. Read the full storyAnalysts view Trump psychedelics order as mostly symbolic
The Trump administration released an executive order earlier this month aimed at speeding up access to psychedelic treatments for people suffering from “serious mental illnesses,” but experts argue that this order will likely carry more symbolic weight than legal impact. Read the full story The Indian government has criticized a social media post by Donald Trump describing India as a “hellhole,” calling those remarks inappropriate and “in poor taste.” On Wednesday , Trump shared a four-page transcript containing comments made by conservative podcast host Michael Savage , which rejected everyone born in America having constitutional rights. Read t he f u ll s t o r yWhat else took place today: If you’re catching up , here’s what went down Thursday , April 23.Source link
