Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides told The Associated Press the EU must develop an operational "playbook" for responding when a member invokes Article 42.7 and requests assistance. He highlighted the need to clarify how EU obligations would interact with NATO commitments after a Shahed drone struck a British base in Cyprus and allied ships were dispatched to help. Christodoulides also pushed for deeper EU–Middle East cooperation through the Mediterranean Pact and IMEC, stressed energy diversification using Cyprus' offshore gas, and urged faster progress on enlargement.
Cyprus President Urges EU To Draw Up Operational ‘Playbook’ For Assisting Members Under Attack
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides gestures as he speaks during an Associated Press interview ahead of this week's major EU-Middle East summit, at the presidential palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides told The Associated Press that European Union leaders meeting on the island should create a clear, operational "playbook" for how the bloc will respond if a member state invokes Article 42.7 and requests help.
In an exclusive interview, Christodoulides said the summit will focus on "giving substance" to Article 42.7 of the EU treaties, which requires all 27 member states to provide "aid and assistance by all the means in their power" if a member suffers armed aggression on its territory. Because Article 42.7 has never been invoked, there are no established procedures or timelines for how other EU countries should respond to such a call for assistance.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides gestures as he speaks during an Associated Press interview ahead of this week's major EU-Middle East summit, at the presidential palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
"We have Article 42.7 and we don’t know what is going to happen if a member state triggers this article," Christodoulides said ahead of an informal EU leaders' summit he is hosting, which is expected to concentrate on the war in Iran and its regional fallout. "So we’re going to have a discussion and prepare, let’s say, an operational plan of what is going to happen in case a member state triggers this article, and there are a number of issues."
The matter is personal for Christodoulides after a Shahed drone struck a British air base on Cyprus’ southern coast last month. Cypriot officials said the drone was launched from Lebanon, whose capital is about 207 kilometers (129 miles) from Cyprus’ southern shore. Greece, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal sent vessels equipped with anti-drone capabilities to assist Cyprus.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides gestures as he speaks during an Associated Press interview ahead of this week's major EU-Middle East summit, at the presidential palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A central challenge, he said, is clarifying how EU assistance would interact with NATO obligations: many EU members are also NATO allies. NATO’s Article 5 designates an attack on one ally as an attack on all, which can trigger a collective response. Christodoulides asked, "So what is going to happen in this situation if a member state is both a NATO member state and an EU member state? What is going to happen?"
He also raised procedural questions that need resolving, including whether an EU response would be collective (in the spirit of NATO) or focused on immediate neighbors capable of rapid assistance, and what types of military, civilian or technical measures are appropriate for different crises.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides speaks during an Associated Press interview ahead of this week's major EU-Middle East summit, at the presidential palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Beyond defense, Christodoulides is pressing for deeper EU engagement with the Middle East. Cyprus’ EU presidency has prioritized initiatives such as the Mediterranean Pact, aimed at delivering concrete projects on health, education and energy. The informal summit will include leaders from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to explore strategic cooperation.
Christodoulides is a vocal proponent of the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a proposed trade, energy and digital link intended to strengthen connectivity between Europe and India and help foster stability in the Middle East. Under Cyprus’ presidency a "Friends of IMEC" group has been launched, though it still needs more concrete projects, such as the delayed Great Seas Interconnector electricity cable linking Greece, Cyprus and potentially Israel.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides gestures as he speaks during an Associated Press interview ahead of this week's major EU-Middle East summit, at the presidential palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
On energy, Christodoulides said talks with the European Commission are under way about how Cyprus’ offshore natural gas could help diversify EU supplies and routes. He noted that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will unveil "very specific proposals" on energy costs and greater energy independence.
Finally, Christodoulides praised recent improvements in EU decision-making speed but criticized the union for failing to deliver enlargement decisions over the last two years, a shortcoming he said has eroded the trust of candidate countries. "Enlargement is one of the geopolitical tools that, as a European Union, we need pretty soon to have specific decisions," he said.
Key Fact: Article 42.7 obliges EU members to provide "aid and assistance by all the means in their power," but practical rules for implementation are not yet defined.
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