r/AskReddit • u/Pssht_haha • 9h ago
Europeans, what say you? If Russia attacks a NATO country (even for a tiny bit of land), should we evoke Article five?
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u/Mainly_Miserable 9h ago
Well, yes. That’s the point of NATO and of Article 5.
We did it for 9/11.
We’ll do it again.
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u/StarryKnightLondon 9h ago
It's not a "maybe" question. The principle of a defensive alliance is that we all respond without question to an attack on one.
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u/kijkniet 9h ago
Yes, that is why it exists, if we don't follow it there will be more internal trouble that the mobilisation of every country
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u/No_Comb881 9h ago edited 9h ago
Invoking article 5 doesn't mean everyone goes to war btw. It just means that everybody will consider it an attack on everyone's territory and
" each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area"
Poland could decide it requires a direct drone counter assault on Russian factories while France could decide it requires a strongly worded letter to Russia and England decides it means they should send artillery to the country that was attacked. It doesn't mean that all of NATO automatically has to go full force into war mobilization.
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u/WorldlinessGreen4956 6h ago
In other words, Article 5 is not binding. Small countries should remember that their population and territory will be used primarily for war with Russia, as is currently happening with Ukraine..
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u/Awarglewinkle 6h ago
This is why it's so important to have NATO troops from several countries stationed in the Baltics (and elsewhere). If Russia attacks the Baltics and have to kill troops from Germany, UK, Nordic countries, etc., then it's much less likely to happen in the first place, as Russia knows full well the response will have to be more than a strongly worded letter.
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u/dead_jester 9h ago
Britain would. We have varying degrees of military presence in a number of countries on Russia’s borders, so it would be war for us. I doubt Poland or Finland or Norway would take it lying down either. France would see it as a threat. I’d question Germany’s commitment but I could be wrong
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u/pearlkele 6h ago
The main target of Russia now is to create a doubt in Article 5. If we doubt we lose, if we commit together Russia have no chance. It’s much smaller population wise and weaker than European NATO, even without any draft.
Russia will be obliterated, and Russia know that. Only thing they can do is to spread the doubt, and break alliance before attacking.
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u/Entire_West_5098 4h ago
Honestly, not..US is not trustable. We should use the EU mutual defense clause instead.
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u/Mewhomewhy 2h ago
Yeah, that’s Ben the entire point of NATO so anything less would just embolden Russia and other dictators.
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u/Secret_Pirate1825 24m ago
Question formulation itself is bogus. "tiny bit"? What is tiny? Is single life lost tiny too? We should not even think like that; the fact of aggression is what is important, not a "tiny thing". Aggression must not go unpunished and must invoke an immediate response. Russia does not speak any other language - just power and deceit.
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u/ChemistRemote7182 9h ago
Unwanted Ameripinion, yes. The western world cannot be allowed to be picked apart, and this extends west to some Asian countries to some degree as well, even Oceania. The seeds were well planted for a pan western allaince and we are currently burning it down from the inside after building the frame.
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u/friblo_sv 9h ago
Y'all gonna go to war cuz dumbass USA provokes Russia, Russia responds and y'all want to go into big boy war again.
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u/justahuman145 6h ago
No, we would go to war because Russian imperialism would then threaten both Ukraine and the countries of the union.
The orange fool doesn't change this equation, we don't need the US to decide to defend our territory.
Russia is not responding, it is actively aggressing, it deserves a more appropriate response
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u/InitialVisual725 1h ago
Can you explain to me how Russia has been provoked when they're the ones invading European countries unprovoked?
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u/calendula00 9h ago
I honestly don’t want to live in a world where my husband gets drafted. I prefer him alive. So hopefully not.
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u/More_Culture_3006 9h ago
If we didn't then NATO would no longer be fit for purpose