What are NATO's Articles 4 and 5 being discussed after missile strike in Poland?

An explosion in NATO member Poland's territory has killed two people on Tuesday, reportedly by Russian missiles.

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, an explosion in NATO member Poland's territory on Tuesday (November 15, 2022) killed two people with the US and its allies saying they were investigating the blast which had been reportedly caused by Russian missiles. The explosion, which occurred in a grain-drying facility in Przewodow, about 6 from the border with war-torn Ukraine, could now trigger NATO's principle of collective defense known as Article 5, in which an attack against one of the treaty's 30 members is considered as an attack against all Allies. NATO can invoke Article 5 if it is determined that Moscow was to blame for the blast. However, as a possible prelude to such a decision, Poland has first requested a NATO meeting on Wednesday under the alliance's Article 4.

What is NATO's Article 4?

Under Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty, member countries can bring an issue to the attention of the North Atlantic Council (Council or NAC – NATO's principal political decision-making body) and discuss it with the Allies. Any member country can formally invoke Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty and as soon as it is invoked, the issue is discussed and can potentially lead to some form of joint decision or action on behalf of the Alliance. 

Article 4 of NATO states: "The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened."

As per the latest reports, Poland has requested a NATO meeting under Article 4 for consultations.

How many times has NATO invoked Article 4?

Since NATO's creation in 1949, Article 4 has been invoked seven times.

The most recent one was on February 24, 2022, when its members -- Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia -- requested to hold consultations under Article 4 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On July 26, 2015, Turkey had also made the same request in view of the seriousness of the situation following terrorist attacks.

Poland had also invoked Article 4 on March 3, 2014, after increasing tensions in Ukraine, as a result of Russia's annexation of Crimea.

What is NATO's Article 5?

NATO'S Article 5 provides that if its ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked.

"The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area," Article 5 states.

"Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security," Article 5 says.

If and when Article 5 is invoked, the NATO Allies can provide any form of assistance they deem necessary to respond to a situation. This, however, is an individual obligation on each Ally and each Ally is responsible for determining what it deems necessary in the particular circumstances.

Has NATO invoked Article 5 before?

NATO's Article 5 has been activated once before – on behalf of the United States, in response to September 11, 2001 attacks.