In statements to the Euronews website, the Irish high-ranking officer stressed that, despite rhetoric of solidarity, European capitals continue to depend on Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which establishes the collective response to armed aggression against any member of the North Atlantic bloc.
Analysts consulted by the media outlet point out that the EU’s mutual defense clause (Article 42.7) has only been activated once, after the Paris attacks in 2015, which demonstrates its more political than operational nature in the face of the US military machine.
General Clancy insisted that collective EU defense must focus on threats not covered by NATO, such as humanitarian or hybrid crises, and expressed skepticism about achieving strategic autonomy by 2030, describing that date as “part of a long-term shift.”
The European military chief’s remarks coincide with the growing debate about the United States’ role in the Alliance, in a context where figures like former President Donald Trump have threatened to withdraw defense from allies that do not increase their defense spending.
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