British Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted today he would not let European Union defence-integration plans undermine NATO.
EU leaders said they had narrowed their differences at a two-day summit on joint defence arrangements to be incorporated in a new European constitution but that tricky details remain to be agreed.
Washington, which suspects the plan is a French-inspired bid to subvert the Atlantic alliance, has piled pressure on Britain, its closest European ally, to block the loftier ambitions of a pioneering quartet of EU states led by Paris and Berlin.
Although he agreed with France, Germany and Belgium yesterday to closer co-operation between the bloc's militarily most advanced member states, Mr Blair has rejected proposals the United States says trespass on NATO territory.
France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg - fierce critics of the US-led invasion of Iraq - agreed in April to set up a military planning headquarters independent of NATO for EU crisis management missions.
The four are also in favour of incorporating a mutual defence clause similar to NATO's Article V in the draft EU constitution under negotiation.