As international leaders hurry to determine the specifics of last night’s missile attack on NATO member Poland, it is unclear whether the Western alliance will activate Articles 4 and 5.
Two individuals were murdered at a grain plant in Przewodow, a Polish village located approximately 6 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Polish investigators suspect the missile was manufactured in Russia.
There are still unanswered questions about who was responsible for the missile attack, but Poland is likely to summon a NATO meeting today morning under Article 4 of the treaty to consider the security threat.
If it is later determined that Moscow was responsible for the explosion, it might trigger Article 5 of NATO’s collective defence principle, which states that an assault on one member of the Western alliance is considered an attack on all.
This article discusses what Articles 4 and 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are and what could happen if they are invoked.
As international leaders hurry to determine the specifics of last night’s missile attack on NATO member Poland, it is unclear whether the Western alliance will activate Articles 4 and 5. Pictured: Wednesday, President Joe Biden participated in a summit of G7 and NATO leaders in Bali, Indonesia.
What is NATO Article 4?
Article 4 of the NATO Charter allows any member – in this case Poland – to call a meeting if they consider that their territory, political independence, or security is threatened.
In the face of a security concern, this is a demand for talks among friends, providing them more time to consider next moves.
Prior to reaching an agreement and taking action, the Allies are able to share ideas and information and address issues at this stage of the process.
Within hours of Tuesday night’s explosion in Poland, two European diplomats reported that Warsaw had requested an Article 4 consultation conference with NATO.
This has not yet been officially activated, but Poland is likely to request a NATO summit this morning to assess the threat posed by the missile attack.
Article 4 of the NATO treaty is considered the starting point for large operations, as it can lead to Article 5 being triggered by NATO members.
When did Article 4 become applicable?
Article 4 has been officially invoked seven times since 1949, when the alliance was founded.
Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia requested meetings under Article 4 on 24 February 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In 2014, Poland invoked Article 4 in response to escalating tensions in Ukraine caused by Russia’s aggressive activities.
Turkey has also invoked Article 4 many times, including in 2015 in response to terrorist acts.
And in 2003, Turkey invoked the charter and requested consultations with NATO members regarding defensive assistance in the event that armed conflict in neighboring Iraq posed a threat to its citizens or territory.
What is Section 5?
Article 5 is the cornerstone of the founding treaty of NATO, which was established in 1949 with the U.S. military as its linchpin to resist the Soviet Union and its satellites in the Eastern bloc during the Cold War.
According to the NATO treaty, an armed strike against one or more members “will be regarded an attack against them all.”
If such an attack occurs, each NATO member will take any action deemed necessary to help the attacking nation.
This may involve the use of armed force to restore and preserve the security of the North Atlantic region.
What does it mean to invoke Article 5?
If Poland invokes Article 4 of the NATO treaty and convenes a meeting to discuss the security concern, the alliance may opt to invoke Article 5.
According to the alliance’s charter, members may take whatever action deemed “essential.” What this could mean depends on the alliance’s course of action.
This could involve the use of armed force, but the alliance must determine this.
When did Article 5 become applicable?
Article 5 has only been invoked once before, in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on behalf of the United States.
Is Article 5 invocation automatic?
However, triggering Article 5 is not automatic because NATO members must agree on the course of action.
There is no time restriction on how long Article 4 consultations can last, and experts say the text is sufficiently broad to allow each member to decide how far to respond to armed action against another.