In the current geopolitical environment, and particularly in the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, we have seen frequent references to NATO’s Article 5: the “one for all and all for one” obligation of allies to assist one another in the face of attack.
Less attention is paid to the article of the North Atlantic Treaty that immediately precedes it. Article 4 stipulates 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.” Once Article 4 is invoked, it would prompt a meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NATO’s permanent ambassador-level body) to consider and respond to this threat. This provision for collective consultations has rarely been invoked, but last September, both Poland and Estonia on separate occasions triggered an Article 4 meeting in light of hostile Russian actions.
The author is a Pugwash Peacenik.
