In case a Member State is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the EUs mutual assistance clause is unambiguous, says Emmanuel Macron.

The mutual assistance clause of the European Union is coming to the forefront amid uncertainties surrounding NATO. Emmanuel Macron and Kyriakos Mitsotakis are calling for a more structured and complementary European defense.

The mutual assistance clause of the European Union is clear and unambiguous, stated President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday, April 25, 2026, during a visit to Athens as part of the renewal of the strategic partnership between France and Greece in 2021.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the French head of state told the press: “Regarding article 42 paragraph 7 […], I believe that for us it is clear and there is no interpretation, ambiguity, so to speak, on this article.”

This article from the Treaty on the European Union states that “in the event of armed aggression against one Member State on its territory, the other Member States shall have an obligation to aid and assist it by all the means in their power.”

In contrast to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s collective defense pact, the EU’s mutual assistance clause does not rely on any operational plan or military structure. It has only been activated once, by France in 2015 after the November 13 attacks in Paris, which killed over 130 people.

The demand for EU leaders to elaborate on a plan

EU leaders have asked officials within the bloc to develop a plan detailing how the mutual assistance clause would function in a context with doubts about the continued commitment of the United States to NATO.

President Donald Trump has expressed his frustration towards NATO this month at a private meeting with the Secretary-General of the transatlantic alliance, Mark Rutte, amid increased tensions between the United States and its traditional allies due to the situation in Iran.

Unhappy that NATO countries did not respond positively to his request for help in securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during the US and Israel’s military campaign against Iran on February 28, 2026, Donald Trump told Reuters he was considering “absolutely” withdrawing from the alliance, which he had previously criticized on several occasions.

Additionally, faced with threats from Donald Trump earlier in the year to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, EU countries have been prompted to review the provisions regarding mutual assistance among member states.

Emmanuel Macron and Kyriakos Mitsotakis both stated that efforts to strengthen defense at the EU level should be seen as complementary to NATO, not as a substitute.

“NATO provides benefits, and we have never considered our alliances, partnerships, where the European Union was an alternative to NATO, something to eliminate NATO. NATO is a broader alliance,” declared Emmanuel Macron.

“I would say that NATO and the United States should be pleased that Europe is taking its strategic autonomy seriously and investing more in its defense. We are thus strengthening the European pillar of NATO,” added Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Partnership between Paris and Athens

Emmanuel Macron also reflected on the partnership signed in 2021 with Greece, stating that Paris had responded at the time to emerging threats affecting Athens.

“This partnership, today, we have not only dedicated it, but expanded it through the signing of a strengthened global strategic partnership,” said the French head of state.

“In the field of innovation, as well as increasing our ties, the new dimension represented by the advanced deterrence that I announced a few weeks ago, which has been the subject of intense work between our teams and which we will continue and which helps to anchor this strategic link between Greece and France,” continued Emmanuel Macron, adding that Franco-Greek exchanges have doubled in the past ten years.

Regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Emmanuel Macron expressed a desire for a stronger Europe that can have an impact, while also advocating for peace.

“In the face of the situation we know in the Middle East, we call for a return to peace, for the maintenance of the ceasefire, including in Lebanon, and for the continuation of diplomatic negotiations to address the nuclear, ballistic, and regional destabilizations, and for the peaceful reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.