Romania has accused Moscow of "escalation" after saying a Russian drone struck an apartment building overnight. Meanwhile, discussions are underway on how NATO, of which Romania is a member, should respond. The alliance is facing pressure to make clear that such incidents are unacceptable.
However, despite the seriousness of the event, the incident is not expected to be considered serious enough to trigger NATO's collective defense clause, known as Article 5. According to reports, Romania's foreign minister is considering the possibility of activating the alliance's Article 4.
But what does this article provide?
Under the NATO Treaty, any member state of the 32-member alliance can formally invoke Article 4 to bring an issue to the attention of the North Atlantic Council, NATO's highest decision-making body.
The article states that: “The Parties shall consult whenever, in the opinion of one of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”
After Article 4 is activated, the matter is considered by the alliance and may lead to a decision or to the coordination of joint action on behalf of NATO. Unlike Article 5, the activation of Article 4 does not entail military intervention or the use of force.
While Article 5 has only been invoked once in NATO's history, Article 4 has been used on several occasions. These include two incidents in September last year: one from Poland, after Russian drones violated Polish airspace, and the other from Estonia, after Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace.
