The images of a house in the Lublin region, in Poland, struck by a drone (photo Ansa).
The tension is very high and brings back to the time of the Cold War. Or even worse. Because not even during the Cold War it had reached this point. What happened in the skies above Poland, violated by the incursion of a swarm of presumably Russian drones – then demolished – in the night between 9 and 10 September, While Moscow waved a new massive attack on Ukraine, he put Warsaw alarm, Europe, NATO. “We have never been so close to a conflict from the Second World War”, were the words of the Polish premier Donald Tusk. And to return the weight of what Western leaders consider a deliberate action of Moscow – even if the Kremlin denies – is the US General Alexus Grynkewichsince 2025 allied supreme commander in Europe: “It is the first time that NATO aircraft have hired potential threats within our airspace”. For its part, the secretary general of NATO Nark Rutte said: “This is not an isolated case: we are ready, vigilant and we will defend every centimeter of the NATO territory”.
Following the entrance of drones in Polish airspace, considered by Poland a threat to national security, Warsaw invoked the formal activation of article 4 of the Treaty of the North Atlantic (signed in 1949), on the basis of which, says the article, “the parties will consult whenever, in the opinion of one of them, territorial integrity, political independence or safety of any of the parties are threatened”, That is, when one of the 32 alliance members believed to be subjected to an external threat, it can ask to submit the case to the attention of the other members to evaluate the situation and confront each other.
With the invocation of article 4, in short, the question is discussed by all members and the discussion can lead to deciding some form of joint action. The article is an essentially diplomatic and political tool, sets a dialogue and a comparison between members, but does not activate the reinforced intervention. The latter is provided for in article 5, which represents a further step, subsequent, sanctions the principle that the allies must intervene if a NATO country is attacked, based on the collective self -defense.
Throughout history, Article 4 was invoked in a few circumstances: the first was in 2003 when Turkey concerned by the US invasion of the nearby Iraq requested it. In 2014, Poland and the Baltic countries were invoking following the invasion and annexation of Crimea by Russia. On February 24, 2022 Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia February invoked it after the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian territory.
Poland has announced that it has limited air traffic along its eastern border, A restriction that will remain active until December. The Polish Foreign Ministry has announced that, at its request, an extraordinary meeting of the United Nations Security Council will be held. Donald Trumpfrom singing, appeared very surprised – and disappointed – from Putin’s moves. Through the US ambassador at the Atlantic Alliance Washington, however, has ensured that he is “alongside the allies born in the face of these violations of the airspace”. From Slovenia, where he went to the official visit, the Italian president Sergio Mattarella for the first time has compared the atmosphere of these weeks to the one that quickly led to the First World War in 1914, Speaking of a world that floats dangerously on a “ridge” beyond which there is only “the abyss”.
(Photo Ansa above: Polish President Karol Nawrocki at the press conference)
