EU Solidarity Addresses Escalating Global Geopolitical Challenges

RRI.CO.ID. Jakarta - As European Union leaders meet in Cyprus for an informal summit, President Nikos Christodoulides, has called for the bloc to address a long-standing gap in its security architecture. He wants a clear “playbook” for how the EU would respond if a member state came under attack. For Cyprus, the issue is immediate.

Last month a Shahed drone struck a British air base on the island’s southern coast. Cypriot officials say the drone was launched from Lebanon, underscoring the country’s proximity to an increasingly volatile Middle East.

At the Center of the debate is Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union, the bloc’s mutual defence clause. It requires all 27 member states to provide “aid and assistance by all the means in their power” if one of them is the victim of armed aggression. The clause has only been invoked once, by France after the 2015 Paris attacks.

That case involved terrorism rather than a conventional state-on-state military attack and was used to request counterterrorism support. Christodoulides stressed the uncertainty, saying, “We have Article 42.7 and we do not know what is going to happen if a member state triggers this article.” The aim now is to prepare an operational plan that details how assistance would work in practice.

The need for structure was highlighted by the recent drone strike on Cyprus. Several EU countries, including France, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands and Portugal, quickly dispatched naval assets equipped with anti-drone systems. The reaction was swift but improvised, not guided by any agreed EU framework. That experience has increased calls for a pre-agreed, structured approach to collective defence within the Union.

A key dilemma is how Article 42.7 would interact with NATO’s Article 5. With many EU countries also in NATO, overlapping obligations could create confusion during a crisis. Christodoulides questioned which mechanism would take precedence and how responsibilities would be divided. There is also debate over whether assistance would be coordinated collectively at the EU level, mirroring NATO’s model, or left mainly to neighbouring states.

The Nicosia summit takes place as the ongoing Iran war exposes the EU’s vulnerability on its southern flank. Cyprus holds the rotating EU presidency until 30 June and is using the gathering to deepen ties with regional partners. Leaders from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan are expected to attend. Initiatives such as the Mediterranean Pact, covering health, education and energy cooperation, are part of that push. Christodoulides said, “We can represent the interest of the countries of the Greater Middle East to Brussels.

Energy security is also high on the agenda. The Iran conflict has reinforced Europe’s need to diversify energy sources and routes. Cyprus is positioning its offshore natural gas reserves as part of the solution for the bloc’s long-term supply.

Talks are reportedly under way with the European Commission on developing these resources. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to present new proposals on energy costs and independence during the summit.

Cyprus is also promoting the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, or IMEC, to link Europe with India through trade, energy and digital infrastructure. A Friends of IMEC group has been formed during its presidency, though flagship projects like the Great Seas Interconnector have faced delays.

Despite the idyllic setting at Agia Napa Marina, the summit is overshadowed by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. European heads of state and government are meeting Thursday and Friday and are expected to welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, followed by the Lebanese, Egyptian, and Syrian presidents.

Five months after approving a €90 billion loan for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027, the 27 member states should finally fulfill their promise. If the first oil shipments via the Druzhba pipeline reach Hungarian and Slovak terminals, the loan will be approved by all leaders, including outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had previously criticized the agreement.

Source: AP/RFI/Lemonde/