Poland reported on Wednesday the Russian drone against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Article 4 Article 4 of NATO.
NATO fighters shot down multiple Russian drones that violated Polish airspace in the attacks on neighboring Ukraine, marking the first time the coalition has been shot since the beginning of the Ukrainian war. The Polish interior ministry said on Wednesday that a total of 16 drones were found scattered across the country.
Now, NATO allies have formally discussed the situation, which Polish officials call “Russian provocation.” This is what you need to know about the call in Article 4:
What is NATO Article 4?
The Transatlantic Defense Alliance adopts the principle that an attack on people is an attack on everyone. Article 4 of its treaty provides that any member state can formally raise the issues of the North Atlantic Commission, the main decision-making body of NATO, in order to meet with allies and discuss the next step.
The article said: “All parties will be threatened with the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any party.”
It should not be confused with Article 5, the cornerstone of the alliance, which states that armed attacks on a NATO ally would be regarded as violent acts against all members and promptly provide assistance to the members concerned.
NATO said the discussion sparked by Article 4 could “possibly lead to some form of joint decision-making or action on behalf of the coalition.” The consulting process is key because all alliance decisions are made by consensus.
The consultations requested by Poland were held at a regular meeting of the North Atlantic Commission in Brussels, Belgium.
What is Poland’s comment on the invocation of Article 4?
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced an invasion of his country's airspace on Wednesday, noting a “large portion” of drones entering from Berarus. He called the incident a “unprecedented violation” and confirmed that Poland invoked Article 4 of NATO.
Other Polish officials said the number of drones made it clear that it was a deliberate action by Russia. Polish prosecutors say at least some drones have been identified as the Russian version of Shahed, designed by Iran, known as Gerbera.
Speaking to the Polish parliament on Wednesday, Tusk said that while there is no reason to say the country is in a state of war, it is closer to conflict than at any time since World War II. He said Poland was facing an “enemy that did not conceal its hostile intentions.”
“Russia's provocation is nothing more than trying to test our capabilities and reactions. It's an attempt to check the internal operating mechanisms of NATO and our ability to react,” Polish President Karol Nawrocki said on Thursday. “Thank you, because we passed all these tests.”
On Thursday, the Polish armed forces announced restrictions on air traffic in the eastern part of the country until December 9.
The country also said that the UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting to discuss the drone invasion.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it had already launched a strike against Ukraine overnight. It said: “There are no targets to carry out destruction on Polish territory” and that the drones it uses in Ukraine have no more than 700 kilometers (435 miles). Without evidence, Russia called the incident “a myth repeatedly spread by Poland to further escalate the Ukrainian crisis.”
When did Article 4 be triggered in the past?
Article 4 has triggered seven more times since the establishment of NATO in 1949.
Recently, Poland, along with Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia, demanded consultations in February 2022 in the context of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The coalition said Poland had previously invoked Article 4 in March 2014 “Tenire situations in neighboring Ukraine have increased due to Russia’s active actions,” the coalition said. The move comes after Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula.
All other rare aids in Article 4 are Turkey, which requires consultations related to threats from Iraq and Syria. Türkiye triggered Article 4 in July 2015 after the country's terrorist attacks.
After the North Atlantic Commission meeting on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said: “The Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and condemned Russia's reckless behavior.”
“A comprehensive assessment of this incident is underway. Obviously, last night's violation was not an isolated incident,” Rutte added.
According to Reuters, Alexus Grynkewich, the commander-in-chief of NATO's highest allied forces, said it was not clear that the invasion of the Polish drone was intentional or unintentional.
U.S. President Donald Trump responded to Wednesday's space invasion and had some degree of annoyance. “What is Russia's space that violates Polish airspace with drones?” Trump asked in a brief article about the Truth Society. “here we go!”
According to the U.S. State Department, about 10,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in Poland.
CNN's Antonia Mortensen, Ivana Kottasová and Nick Paton Walsh contributed to the report.