After reports of a missile strike in Poland, there had been speculation the Polish government might invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty.
Key Points:
What is the provision of Article 4 of NATO?
Article 4 of the treaty mandates that the member nations consult each other when faced with a threat.
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
It is a military alliance that came into existence through the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) in 1949.
Purpose: To guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.
Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.
It aimed to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. Members of NATO are committed to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party.
The principle of collective defense is enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty
Strength: 29 (As of 2019)
It was the US’s first peacetime military alliance outside the western hemisphere.