What Article 4 of NATO invoked by Tusk and when it was used
Any member of the 32-member alliance may formally invoke Article 4 to bring a matter to the attention of the North Atlantic Council
2' min read
2' min read
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says that Poland will invoke Article 4 of NATO, after the invasion of Polish airspace by Russian drones on the night of 9-10 September. But what does Article 4 provide for?
Under the North Atlantic Treaty, any member of the 32-member alliance may formally invoke Article 4 to bring a matter to the attention of the North Atlantic Council, NATO's decision-making body. The article states: 'The Parties shall consult each other whenever, in the opinion of either Party, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened'.
As soon as you invoke Article 4, the issue is discussed and can potentially lead to some form of decision or joint action by NATO. It does not require any form of armed intervention.
Recently, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia requested Article 4 consultations on 24 February 2022, in response to Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Article 5, on the other hand, is a next step and enshrines the principle that the Allies intervene in defence if a NATO country is attacked on the basis of collective self-defence. It states that 'the Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against all Parties'. So far, it has only been invoked once, after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers.
