EU leaders have agreed that the European Commission will prepare a blueprint on how the bloc will respond if the little-known mutual assistance clause, Article 42.7 of the EU treaty, is triggered. This decision was announced by Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, who is hosting the talks. The discussions took place on Thursday night, before reports emerged that the US was exploring how to suspend Spain from Nato.
Concerns over US commitment
The move comes amid concerns over how the US would respond in the event of a foreign attack against allied nations, many of which Trump has openly criticized for not getting involved in his and Israel's joint war on Iran. This conflict has destabilized the region and rattled much of the global economy. This month, Trump stated he was "absolutely without question" considering withdrawing the US from Nato, pushing the 77-year-old alliance towards the worst crisis in its history.
Pedro Sánchez, Spain's prime minister, who has been the most vociferous European critic of the war in Iran, said on Friday that Spain was a loyal Nato member while renewing his criticism of "the failure of brute force in the Middle East."
Blueprint for mutual assistance
Speaking on Friday, European Council President António Costa said: "We are designing the handbook on how to use this mutual assistance clause." He noted that there had already been a "test case" in Cyprus, referring to a recent drone strike on a British base on the island at the start of the latest Middle East conflict. Costa added: "Greece, and then France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands mobilised military equipment and forces to help Cyprus defend from external attacks." Meanwhile, the Royal Navy was heavily criticised for having a limited number of warships available for deployment.
Other developments
In related news, Donald Trump is sending his Middle East envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to resume negotiations to end the war with Iran. The White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the travel on Friday, stating that Witkoff and Kushner would meet Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in Islamabad.
An appeals court on Friday blocked Trump's executive order suspending asylum access, a key pillar of his plan to crack down on immigration at the southern border. The US Department of Justice is dropping its criminal investigation against Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, clearing the path for Trump's new nominee to be confirmed. The Trump administration issued an executive order to accelerate access to psychedelic medication for people with serious mental illnesses, though analysts say it is largely symbolic.
The Indian government has denounced a social media post shared by Trump that described India as a "hellhole," calling the comments inappropriate and in poor taste. On Wednesday, Trump posted a transcription of remarks by conservative podcast host Michael Savage that denounced birthright citizenship.
In other news, gambling addiction is spiraling out of control in the US, a leading campaigner has warned. Law enforcement officials have expressed concerns that immigration operations are interfering with police work. A woman and her five children, who were detained for over 10 months, were released after a judge's order. British police investigating Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson are preparing to interview witnesses. Two California lawmakers have introduced a bill to hold social media companies accountable for child sexual abuse material. The US Justice Department announced steps to strengthen the federal death penalty, including bringing back firing squads. The department also intervened in a lawsuit by Elon Musk's xAI challenging a Colorado AI regulation law.
