European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that Cyprus “will never be alone”, a week after the island was hit by an Iranian-made drone.

“We also know that people in Cyprus are concerned and I want to be unequivocal: you are not – and never will be – alone. European solidarity is real, tangible, and by your side,” she told Monday’s plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

She added that the parliament “will send the clearest of messages that Europe stands firm and united, because the security of Cyprus is the security of the European Union”.

“Any threat to member states is totally unacceptable, and when our resolve is tested, we will see – as we are seeing now – Europe acting as one,” she said. 

Her comments come with no fewer than five European Union member states having sent or announced their intention to send naval assets to the waters of Cyprus in the aftermath of last week’s drone strike.

The Netherlands is the latest country to do so, with a Dutch frigate set to deploy to Cyprus as part of the french aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle’s carrier strike group. The Charles de Gaulle itself is currently located off the Greek island of Crete.

It was visited by French President Emmanuel Macro on Monday, with Macron having earlier paid a joint visit to Cyprus alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. 

Macron said during his visit to Cyprus that the Charles de Gaulle is “now close to Cyprus to contribute to the overall defence picture, and to ensure it in the long term”. 

Earlier, Italy had announced its intention to send the Federico Martinego frigate to Cyprus, while Spain is to send the Cristobal Colon frigate. 

Greece, meanwhile, deployed four F-16 fighter jets to the island last Monday, as well as two frigates, including the Kimon, which was described by Mitsotakis during his visit to the island as the “pride of the Greek fleet”.