A group of European countries are invoking the provision of NATO’s founding treaty that requires allies to hold consultations whenever “the security of any of the Parties is threatened,” in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Poland and the Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — are invoking that provision, the Washington Examiner has learned, in order to spur additional fortifications for the NATO member states nearest to the war zone. The invocation of that treaty provision reflects their anxiety about whether the Russian assault could spill beyond the territory of Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, into one of the countries within the trans-Atlantic alliance.
“Who can be sure what’s happening in his head?” a European official, speaking to the Washington Examiner on condition of anonymity, said in reference to Putin. “He started a war in the middle of Europe to demilitarize a neighboring country. Are we sure that that’s it? It’s always better to invest in deterrence [rather] than, when the conflict has started, to invest in fighting the conflict.”
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The embattled country of Ukraine shares a border with four NATO member states. The Baltic states do not border Ukraine, but Lithuania and Latvia share a border with Belarus, which is hosting Russian forces, and Latvia and Estonia border Russia. Lithuania and Poland also share a border with Kaliningrad, a district of Russian sovereign territory on the Baltic Sea that does not connect by land to the rest of Russia.
“When there’s actually a war at NATO’s border, you just have to deter — you have to strengthen deterrence,” the European official said. “That’s how NATO avoided military conflict during the Cold War: with precise actions — every time there is escalation, you respond. You make sure that you do not show weakness at any time.”
The Russian military aggression against Ukraine’s sovereignty, people and democracy is totally unacceptable. It is Putin’s responsibility to end it immediately. Latvia is closely working with the EU and NATO partners. We call for NATO Art4 consultations.
— Krišjānis Kariņš (@krisjaniskarins) February 24, 2022
Article 4 of the NATO treaty states that “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.” Article 5 is the provision of the treaty that requires allies to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. Ukraine is not eligible for that protection.
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An Eastern European official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Article 4 consultations will focus on “reinforcement, deterrence, [and] showing NATO’s determination to defend each inch of allied territory.”
