Russia's aggressive hybrid actions could force the Alliance to invoke Article 5, NATO declaration

Russia's aggressive hybrid actions could force the Alliance to invoke Article 5, -NATO declaration Irina Martsiyash

NATO may apply Article 5 due to Russia's hybrid actions/Photo Getty Images

Aggressive hybrid actions by Russia against members NATO “could reach the level of armed attack” and force the North Atlantic Council to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.

This is stated in the NATO Washington Summit Declaration, which was published on the official page of the Alliance.

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The Alliance may apply Article 5 due to Russia's hybrid actions

The document notes that Russia has intensified its aggressive hybrid actions against Alliance members, including actions through intermediaries.

Such actions include sabotage, acts of violence, provocations on NATO borders, exploitation of illegal migration, malicious cyber attacks, electronic interference, disinformation campaigns, political influence and economic coercion.

Members of the North Atlantic Alliance stressed that such actions pose a threat to the security of the bloc.

We remind you that hybrid operations against members of the Alliance could reach the level of an armed attack and could force the North Atlantic Council to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, the declaration says.

What is Article 5 of NATO

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty enshrines the principle of collective defense. The principle of collective defense is that an attack on any of the member states of the Alliance is considered an attack on all of them.