Replies

It's a question the American people ought to be studying on right now. We may be faced with a choice to walk away from NATO or expel Russians from Estonia.

Article 5 of the NATO Washington Agreement:

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, 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.

Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.

Article 5 is at the basis of a fundamental principle of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. It provides that if a NATO Ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked. This is the principle of collective defense.

If the US "walks away" from NATO, we are finished. You can expect China to go after Taiwan. Japan will no longer be able to depend on the US nuclear umbrella nor will South Korea be safe.

We had no problem with Article 5 during the Cold War. Why would we back down now?

"We had no problem with Article 5 during the Cold War. Why would we back down now? "

I'm not saying we should and I would advocate for existential war to honor the NATO treaty...but I think I'm part of a very small minority.

It would be a very, very tough sell politically and the POTUS that gave the order could well find himself impeached.

I believe the essential issue to be that NATO was over-extended when Russia was weak and none of the Neo Cons involved ever stopped to ask the question: Would we really defend such a country at crunch time against a nuclear power?

If the US "walks away" from NATO, we are finished. You can expect China to go after Taiwan. Japan will no longer be able to depend on the US nuclear umbrella nor will South Korea be safe.

Agreed. A lot of people even here on FR do not truly understand Reagan's words: "We are indeed, and we are today, the last best hope of man on earth." It's not about being do-gooders or international adventurers. It's about our survival in the long run.