NATO article 5: When does the so-called alliance case apply?

Poland for the first time in response to a serious injury to the NATO-Ifaum’s russian drones shot down. The unmanned systems had entered Polish airspace during massive Russian attacks on Ukraine. Prime Minister Donald Tusk applied for NATO consultations after the incident Article 4.

Article 4 of NATO provides for consultations with the allies when a NATO state from outside in its Independence, territorial integrity or security is threatened. According to Article 4, NATO partners initially advise on another procedure. Basically, Article 4 is the starting point for the so-called “NATO alliance”-that is, Article 5.

According to EU information, there are signs that Moscow has deliberately proceeded. The incident marks an escalation between NATO and Russia in connection with the Ukraine War. “This is the first case in which Russian drones were shot down over the area of ​​a NATO state, which is why all of our allies take the situation very seriously,” said Tusk after a government meeting. Defense Minister Vladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz spoke of a very difficult provocation. According to Tusk, the airspace was injured at least 19 times during the night.

If the consultations according to Article 4 come to the conclusion that a member country has actually been militarily attacked, the most important body of NATO, the North Atlantic council, must also determine this.

If this is the case, Article 5 comes in force. This describes the so -called alliance case. To put it simply, all member countries of NATO commit themselves to the assistance. That means: If a NATO country is attacked militarily, this attack is rated as an attack on the entire alliance. The result would be a collective defense.

However, the article does not prescribe exactly what such a situation means for the individual nations. The type of assistant a respective country is up to him. These services can be be military, financially or political. The North Atlantic Council also decides the decision about whether the alliance case is proclaimed and what reactions result from it.

Important: Article 5 is not synonymous with a declaration of war. They have to decide individually whether the NATO countries declare war on a country, NATO has no right.

Yes, but only once. After the attacks of September 11, the United States asked for advice in accordance with Article 4. The NATO countries then triggered the alliance case from solidarity. The result was two fundamental reactions: On the one hand, the United States started the “Eagle Assist” operation that the American airspace should protect.

On the other hand, there was an operation “Active Endavour” – active combating terrorist destinations in the Mediterranean. This was followed by further military operations, especially in Afghanistan, in which Great Britain, Canada, France and also Germany took part.

This was considered very unlikely from the outset, there are currently no indications of this – also because this is a procedure for NATO against Russia And with it would recover great escalation potential.

The consultations according to Article 4 are a prerequisite for the alliance case, but it is not automatically the result of the discussions. In the history of the alliance, the NaturalSo far seven times on the basis of this article. Turkey particularly often applied for this due to conflicts in the border area with Syria.

Most recently, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia applied for an article 4 consultation on February 24, 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

With material from the news agencies dpa and AFP.