Poland officially invoked NATO Article 4 Today
By James Hall
AI Generated Art Conducted By James Hall
Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty lets any member state ask allies to meet and consult whenever it believes its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is under threat. Unlike Article 5—which obliges collective military action after an attack—Article 4 simply opens a formal discussion; it does not automatically trigger a military response.
Since the treaty’s signing in 1949, Art
icle 4 has been used only a handful of times, though its use has increased in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Poland invoked Article 4 on September 10, 2025, after at least 19 Russian drones—some launched from Belarus—violated its airspace overnight. Polish fighters alongside NATO AWACS, F-16s, and Dutch F-35s intercepted and shot down several drones. As a precaution, Warsaw Chopin, Modlin, Lublin, and Rzeszów airports were closed temporarily. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the incursion a “large-scale provocation” and warned that “words of solidarity are not enough,” urging allies to bolster air defenses along NATO’s eastern flank.
In response, the North Atlantic Council convened emergency consultations, underscoring Article 4’s role as a swift, collective signal of alarm and coordination rather than an automatic call to arms.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made it clear in his September 10 statement that this was no accident: (British Spelling)
"Last night, numerous drones from Russia violated Polish airspace. Our defences were activated and successfully ensured the defence of NATO territory. Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behaviour."
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