Analyst: Poland blasts shouldn't trigger NATO's Article 5
STORY: Two people were killed in an explosion in Przewodow, a village in eastern Poland about 3.5 miles from the border with Ukraine, as Russia was launching missile strikes on its neighbor.
Max Bergmann, who heads the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Europe program, said he doesn't believe the incident will immediately trigger Article 5, which entitles all NATO members to collective defense.
However, Poland could invoke Article 4, and request consultation on possible action by the NATO Alliance.
Bergmann said if the source of the explosion is confirmed to have come from outside Poland such as from a missile, Russia could bear responsibility due to its instigation of the conflict.
“Russia is firing cruise missiles into Ukrainian territory. And if Ukrainian air defense did go askew as the Russians are alleging… at the very least it is Russia [who is] responsible because they're the ones attacking a foreign country and firing missiles at a sovereign state,” he said.
