Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty states: “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.” The invocation of Article 4 is not a prerequisite to Article 5, the pledge of collective defense that serves as the heart of the treaty, nor is it a guarantee that Article 5 will be activated. Poland invoked Article 4 on September 10, 2025, after a wave of Russian drones violated Polish airspace and NATO fighter jets shot a number of them down.
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