The impact of NATO troops in the conflict in Ukraine 1:13
(CNN) -
Russia's invasion of Ukraine opened a heated debate about what the intervention of the United States and NATO should be like, a discussion that adds a new chapter on Tuesday after a projectile impact in Poland that left at least two dead. .
This day it was reported that two missiles or rockets hit a farm in Poland, near the border with Ukraine.
Although it is not yet clear where the shells came from, it is known that they fell at around the same time as a Russian missile strike in western Ukraine.
The US Department of Defense repeated after press reports that it "will defend every inch of NATO territory" while it awaits more information.
“When it comes to our security commitments and Article 5, we have been very clear that we will defend every inch of NATO territory,” said Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.
But what exactly is Article 5 and how does it apply to the war in Ukraine?
Here's what you need to know.
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What is NATO Article 5?
Article 5 is the principle that an attack on a NATO member represents an attack on all the nations of the organization.
This has been the cornerstone of the 30-state alliance since it was founded in 1949 as a counterweight to the Soviet Union.
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The purpose of this principle is to discourage potential adversaries from attacking NATO members.
Article 5 guarantees that the resources of the entire alliance can be used to protect any member nation.
This is crucial for many of the smaller countries, which would be defenseless without their allies.
Iceland, for example, does not have a standing army.
Since the US is the largest and most powerful member of NATO, any state in the alliance is effectively under its protection.
According to the NATO website, Article 5 specifically states:
"The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them, taking place in Europe or in North America, will be considered as an attack directed against all of them, and accordingly agree that if such an attack occurs, each one of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective legitimate defense recognized by article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will help the party or parties attacked, subsequently adopting, individually and in agreement with the other parties, the measures it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore security in the North Atlantic area".
"Any armed attack of this nature and all measures adopted as a consequence will be immediately brought to the attention of the Security Council. These measures will cease when the Security Council has taken the necessary measures to restore and maintain international peace and security."
During the Cold War, the main concern was the Soviet Union.
But, in recent years, Russia's aggressive actions in Eastern Europe have gained attention.
Has Article 5 ever been invoked?
Article 5 has only been invoked once: after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States.
However, the NATO Article 5 principle goes beyond attacks on national territory.
The alliance has also taken collective defense measures on several occasions, including the deployment of Patriot missiles in 2012 on the Syrian-Turkish border, and the reinforcement of its presence in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland after the annexation of Crimea by the of Russia in 2014.
NATO allies have also joined the US in fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.
How does NATO Article 5 apply to Russia's attack on Ukraine?
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2:56
Because Ukraine is not a NATO member, the US is not obligated to protect the country in the same way that it would if a NATO member nation were attacked.
But many of Ukraine's neighbors are NATO members.
So if a Russian attack were to spill over into one of those countries, Article 5 could trigger direct involvement by the US and other NATO members.
What exactly constitutes an attack on a NATO member nation?
The language of Article 5 specifically states that an "armed attack" against a member nation is what triggers collective action.
But what constitutes an "armed attack" is up to NATO members, and Russia's aggressive stance has already raised concerns about the country's willingness to potentially tempt a NATO response.
For example, Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia told
The Washington Post
that a Russian cyberattack in Ukraine could have consequences beyond its intended "geographical limits" and affect NATO members.
"It could end up hitting Poland or Romania or the Baltic states and causing damage that would shut down hospitals, and potentially, you have US troops there. If US troops on a truck get into an accident because the lights didn't work, you could get very close to Article 5." warned Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, in conversation with the newspaper.
Russia's attack on the site of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, raised similar concerns.
Although local authorities said "there has been no change in radiation levels" in the area, what if a radiation leak were to spread to a NATO member nation?
"That's a question the alliance must ask," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told CNN in early March.
"Specifically, I would just recall that Article 5 makes it clear that it is an armed attack against a NATO ally that triggers Article 5... But how that is interpreted... would really be something for the NATO alliance to determine." ".
What are US officials currently saying about Article 5?
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has reiterated the commitment of the country and its allies to Article 5 of NATO.
In that sense, he stated: "If there is any aggression anywhere, on NATO territory, against NATO countries, we, the United States, all our allies and partners will take action to defend every inch of NATO territory. It is so clear and direct."
The top US diplomat's comments echo President Joe Biden's pledge during his State of the Union address to "defend every inch of NATO country territory with the full force of our collective might."
CNN's Jeremy Herb contributed to this report.
Editor's Note:
This article was originally published in March 2022 and has been updated with new information.
War in UkraineRussian invasion of UkraineNATO