Explainer: NATO's Articles 4 and 5: How the Ukraine conflict could trigger its defense obligations - Reuters.com

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - A deadly detonation occurred successful NATO subordinate Poland's territory adjacent its borderline with Ukraine connected Tuesday, and the United States and its allies said they were investigating unconfirmed reports the blast had been caused by stray Russian missiles.

The explosion, which firefighters said killed 2 people, raised concerns of Russia's warfare successful Ukraine becoming a wider conflict. Polish authorities said it was caused by a Russian-made rocket, but Russia's defence ministry denied involvement.

If it is determined that Moscow was to blasted for the blast, it could trigger NATO's rule of corporate defence known arsenic Article 5, successful which an onslaught connected 1 of the Western alliance's members is deemed an onslaught connected all, starting deliberations connected a imaginable subject response.

As a imaginable prelude to specified a decision, however, Poland has archetypal requested a NATO gathering connected Wednesday nether the treaty's Article 4, European diplomats said. That is simply a telephone for consultations among the allies successful the look of a information threat, allowing for much clip to find what steps to take.

The pursuing is an mentation of Article 5 and what mightiness hap if it is activated:

WHAT IS ARTICLE 5?

Article 5 is the cornerstone of the founding pact of NATO, which was created successful 1949 with the U.S. subject arsenic its almighty mainstay fundamentally to antagonistic the Soviet Union and its Eastern bloc satellites during the Cold War.

The charter stipulates that "the Parties hold that an equipped onslaught against 1 oregon much of them successful Europe oregon North America shall beryllium considered an onslaught against them all."

"They hold that, if specified an equipped onslaught occurs, each of them, successful workout of the close of idiosyncratic oregon corporate self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, volition assistance the Party oregon Parties truthful attacked by taking forthwith, individually and successful performance with the different Parties, specified enactment arsenic it deems necessary, including the usage of equipped force, to reconstruct and support the information of the North Atlantic area," it says.

AND WHAT IS ARTICLE 4?

Article 4 states that NATO members "will consult unneurotic whenever, successful the sentiment of immoderate of them, the territorial integrity, governmental independency oregon information of immoderate of the Parties is threatened."

Within hours of the blast successful Poland connected Tuesday, 2 European diplomats said that Poland requested a NATO gathering nether Article 4 for consultations.

HOW COULD THE UKRAINE WAR TRIGGER ARTICLE 5?

Since Ukraine is not portion of NATO, Russia's penetration successful February did not trigger Article 5, though the United States and different subordinate states rushed to supply subject and diplomatic assistance to Kyiv.

However, experts person agelong warned of the imaginable for a spillover to neighboring countries connected NATO's eastbound flank that could unit the confederation to respond militarily.

Such enactment by Russia, either intentional oregon accidental, has raised the hazard of widening the warfare by drafting different countries straight into the conflict.

IS INVOKING ARTICLE 5 AUTOMATIC?

No. Following an onslaught connected a subordinate state, the others travel unneurotic to find whether they hold to respect it arsenic an Article 5 situation.

There is nary clip bounds connected however agelong specified consultations could take, and experts accidental the connection is flexible capable to let each subordinate to determine however acold to spell successful responding to equipped aggression against another.

HAS ARTICLE 5 BEEN INVOKED BEFORE?

Yes. Article 5 has been activated erstwhile earlier – connected behalf of the United States, successful effect to the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked-plane attacks connected New York and Washington.

WHAT HAS BIDEN SAID ABOUT ARTICLE 5 COMMITMENTS?

While insisting that the United States has nary involvement successful going to warfare against Russia, President Joe Biden has said from the commencement of Moscow's penetration that Washington would conscionable its Article 5 commitments to support NATO partners.

"America's afloat prepared with our NATO allies to support each azygous inch of NATO territory. Every azygous inch," Biden said astatine the White House successful September.

He had declared earlier that determination was "no doubt" that his medication would uphold Article 5.

Reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Kieran Murray, Grant McCool and Bradley Perrett

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