Flashback to March: Did Biden Box Himself In on Article 5?

[TheProle]

“If there is a military attack on NATO territory it would cause the invocation of Article 5, and we would bring the full force of the NATO alliance to bear in responding to it,” Mr. Sullivan said in an interview Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” He was referring to the provision of the treaty that provides that if any NATO member is the victim of an armed attack, every other member will consider it to be an attack on all members.

Mr. Sullivan said the U.S. will continue supporting Ukrainian forces with military assistance.

He also reiterated President Biden’s vow that the U.S. and its allies will “defend every inch” of the NATO territory and would respond even in the event of an accidental or unintentional strike by Russia.

“All I will say is that if Russia attacks, fires upon, takes a shot at NATO territory, the NATO alliance would respond to that,” Mr. Sullivan said.

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russia-ukraine-latest-news-2022-03-11/card/u-s-warns-full-force-of-nato-would-respond-if-russia-hits-poland-zEmQR8bzJCRx5QiKilww

[Walleye]

1. Doesn't it have to be Poland that invokes the article?

[Emrys]

2. "Respond" is doing a lot of work there, so no, I don't think he boxed anybody in. n/t

[TheProle]

3. Fair point

"Full force" sort of tugs it in the other way, though.

[Emrys]

5. Well, we can argue about nuances.

He didn't say it would immediately escalate beyond a nuclear boundary, so there is that. All the rhetoric from the G20 would argue against it.

There's a lot more NATO can do to bolster Ukraine's air defences, for instance, more quickly, or give it the means (and intelligence co-operation beyond what's already being done) to take out with extreme prejudice these Russian missile launch sites on detection.

If that marred the Russian Federation's abilities to pepper Ukrainian civilian targets willy-nilly, I don't see any harm in that, but Vlad might squeak a bit.

[TheProle]

8. Thanks for your insights.

It's a thorny situation.

[Bev54]

11. I keep hoping it will have NATO declare a no fly zone but doubt it.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Yeah, "response" does not automatically mean "nuke them." nt

[sarisataka]

6. It seems that settles it, only one thing to do

Say goodbye




Or I suppose Biden can talk to other NATO leaders and decide what the response to this should be.

[pwb]

7. I thought Joe was talking nuclear threats. The attacked country

should act if it is appropriate. Then we will help. Mistakes happen in war eh?

[TheProle]

10. I hope so. Thanks.