Tensions in Europe were ratcheted even higher on Tuesday after the Polish government announced that a Russian-made missile killed two of its citizens near the country’s border with Ukraine.
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau summoned Russia’s ambassador for the meeting, and demanded an explanation for the blast near Przewodow.
According to NBC News, Poland says that it will boost “the combat readiness of selected units of the Polish armed forces” after the incident.
President Joe Biden, in Indonesia for the G20 summit this week, called an emergency meeting of G7 and NATO leaders for consultations after the incident, according to his press pool.
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Officials say it remains unclear whether Russia fired the missile, or what its intended target was if it did. Leaders are seeking to ease tensions in the aftermath of the explosion, which comes amid continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
According to NBC News, Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said there have been discussions of the country triggering Article 4 of the NATO charter in the incident’s aftermath.
Such talk has not yet escalated to triggering Article 5 of the charter, a doctrine under which an attack on one member of NATO is considered an attack on all.
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Those two articles will likely be mentioned extensively in coming days after the incident, but have significant differences. Here is a breakdown of what exactly those two articles entail.
What Is the North Atlantic Treaty?
How NATO Countries Were Positioned at the Beginning of Russia's War in Ukraine
Source: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Credit: Andrew Williams/NBC
The North Atlantic Treaty, also known as the Washington Treaty, is the legal document that cemented the formation of NATO in 1949.
A total of 12 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, were among the founding members of the organization, a political and military alliance that was created in the context of providing a counterweight in Europe to the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Over the years, 18 more members have joined the organization, including Turkey, Lithuania and Estonia, and most recently, North Macedonia in 2020. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, though it has signaled intentions that it wishes to join in the future.
Of the articles contained within the treaty, Articles 4 and 5 are those most commonly cited, including in the current conflict involving Russia and Ukraine.
What Is Article 4 of NATO?
Under Article 4 of the treaty, any member can call for a consultation of the North Atlantic Council when “the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened,” the article states. Calling upon Article 4 does not necessarily mean any action will be taken, but it intensifies communication among members.
The article has now been invoked just seven times, most recently after Russia invaded Ukraine in March, according to NATO's website.
What Is Article 5 of NATO?
The most serious section of the treaty is Article 5, which is known as the “commitment clause.” Within this clause, every member of NATO agrees that it will consider an armed attack against any member state, whether in Europe or North America, as an attack against all 30 members of the organization.
Article 5 has only been invoked once in the history of NATO, when the United States called for joint action after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Ukraine, the second-largest by land in all of Europe, borders Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, all of whom are members of NATO. Belarus and Moldova, which border Ukraine to the north and south, respectively, are not NATO members.
As a result of the close geographic proximity to the conflict, NATO has indicated that Article 5 would be enacted if Russia were to launch any attacks against its member states, which would represent a dramatic escalation in the conflict.
