In a Russian attack on Ukrainian power grids, a missile landed in Polish territory and killed two individuals, according to a report by AP. Poland being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the attack has already given rise to speculation that member nations of the alliance can now attack Ukraine if they decide to invoke Article 5.
History behind Article 5
Article 5 is the declaration of all member nations of NATO that an attack on any one of them will be regarded as an attack on the entire alliance.
The Alliance was first formed in 1949 to counter the growing influence of the Soviet Union. According to NATO’s official website, “NATO has standing forces on active duty that contribute to the Alliance’s collective defence efforts on a permanent basis.”
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Significance
NATO comprises some of the most powerful nations in the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain. There is hardly any world power that would attack a NATO member considering the repercussions that might be involved. The Russian attack on Ukraine has not met with direct action from NATO members since the Volodymyr Zelenskyy-led side is not a member of the alliance.
However, now that two individuals have died in Poland, things might change. The NATO members will also be considering the fact that the attack was not directed against Poland, but was against Ukrainian power grids. In times of economic and energy crises, NATO members will take time to consider their response.
Last Invocation
Article 5 has been invoked on only once occasion in the history of NATO- after the 9/11 attacks that led to the death of around 3,000 people in New York.
According to NATO’s website, “The Alliance’s 1999 Strategic Concept had already identified terrorism as one of the risks affecting NATO’s security. The Alliance’s response to 9/11, however, saw NATO engage actively in the fight against terrorism, launch its first operations outside the Euro-Atlantic area and begin a far-reaching transformation of its capabilities.”
