Russian drones entering Polish airspace on Wednesday set off immediate consultations among NATO allies, marking a tense moment in the ongoing war climate — www.naijnaira.com reports.
The discussion took place at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where ambassadors of all 32 member nations gathered under the framework of Article 4 of the NATO treaty, according to the Associated Press.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed to lawmakers that his country triggered Article 4 after the incident, which followed Russia’s largest air assault on Ukraine since the conflict began.
Article 4 allows any member to call urgent talks when they believe their security, political independence, or territorial integrity faces a threat.
“It gives all allies the opportunity to urgently put certain threats or developments on the agenda of the North Atlantic Council,” explained analyst Bob Deen of the Clingendael think tank.
The mechanism does not automatically activate Article 5, NATO’s collective defense clause, but it ensures rapid coordination in moments of danger.
Turkey has been the most frequent user of Article 4, calling for consultations five times between 2003 and 2020, largely due to conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Poland itself has previously used Article 4, first in March 2014 during Russia’s annexation of Crimea and again on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In fact, eight NATO countries collectively invoked the article in 2022 to coordinate responses after Moscow escalated its aggression.
Deen pointed out that Article 4 does not automatically escalate to military commitments, stressing: “Article 5 has only been invoked once, in response to the 9/11 attacks on the United States.”
NATO officials say consultations like these are increasingly common as the alliance adapts to Russia’s unpredictable military behavior.
Article updated 1 month ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
