French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a stronger European defense posture, arguing that the EU’s mutual assistance clause is a clear and powerful commitment, not just symbolic language.

He pointed to recent coordinated military support for Cyprus as evidence that the clause has already been put into practice.

Macron said this EU provision may even be stronger than NATO’s Article 5, amid concerns about uncertainty in U.S. commitments under Donald Trump.

European leaders, including those in the European Council, are now working on formal guidelines for how the clause should be applied in future crises, The Guardian has reported.

Macron also urged Europe to “wake up” and strengthen its independent military capabilities as global tensions with major powers continue to rise.