NATO 'intentionally ambiguous' on what could trigger Article 5 — commander

BRUSSELS, October 12. /TASS/. NATO deliberately preserves uncertainty about what could lead to invoking Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which provides for collective defense in case of an attack on a member state, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich said.

"We are intentionally ambiguous about what would cause Article 5 to be triggered," he told Poland’s TVP World in an interview.

According to Grynkewich, the alliance could also invoke "other articles" if needed, including Article 4, which calls for consultations within the NATO Council if a member state believes its security is under threat.

The general pointed out that Article 4 had been invoked "zero times" even during the Cold War. "Allies consulted and dealt with the issue without any formal mechanism. And I think that that’s a model of just staying calm, carrying on and working our way through this," he added.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that "NATO’s top military commander is working on a strategy for achieving a quick victory against a Russian attack on its eastern flank, with a particular focus on integrating new defense technologies like drones and AI into traditional power." The document, called "Theory of Victory," will be presented by Grynkewich on October 12. Sources told Bloomberg that the goal is to clarify how the alliance would handle a possible incursion into NATO territory. Grynkewich’s spokesman declined to discuss details of the plan, emphasizing that the alliance was "purely defensive."

According to the Bloomberg report, if NATO was attacked, "it would block an incursion with a mix of land forces and other assets from NATO’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, a concept relying on low-cost drones, minimally crewed systems and AI-enabled targeting." "After gaining freedom of maneuver, it would seek to destroy enemy command and control" with the goal of defeating enemy forces "quickly and overwhelmingly," the news agency added.