EU to Test NATO-Style Defense Guarantees to Operate Without US

The European Union will run simulations of its mutual-assistance mechanism in case of attack, a clause in the bloc’s governing treaty that has become more relevant amid strains in NATO.

These exercises would mimic the decision-making process if a member state called on the rest of the EU for military backup, according to a senior EU official. The drills will take place among EU ambassadors in Brussels and then at a defense ministers’ meeting in May in Cyprus, the official said. The topic will also be discussed at next week’s informal leaders’ summit in Cyprus.