If you and your cold warrior chums succeed in extending NATO, including allowing Ukraine to join, where do you think it will end? If Ukraine joins NATO and then a single Russian bomb lands on Ukraine, NATO countries are obliged to intervene and there will be WWIII. That will end in nuclear war and thus annihilation of civilisation as we know it. Is that what you and the rest of your allies want?
I agree wholly with the sentiment expressed and the inherent danger in the actions currently being taken by dangerous "cold war warriors". Their aims are undoubtedly attempting to escalate to such a situation with their criminal provocations. That being said, however, i do not think that Article 5 is what it is portayed as, ngb. There is a widely held view that it is nothing more than hot air. The full text below with the relevant part highlighted;
Article 5
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 . In NATO's entire history Article 5 has been invoked only once, after the 9/11 attacks. "Such action as it deems necessary", renders it meaningless. The action deemed necessary, is decided by each member individually. Could be supplying bandages. Whatever "action as it deems necessary" is all each state is obliged to do.
Before Article 5 can be invoked - Article 4 must be launched.
Article 4
The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened. When Poland attempted to invoke Art. 5- a few weeks ago- after the "stray?" Ukrainian Air Defence missile landed in Poland, with the Ukrainians claiming it was a Russian missile- It was quickly slapped down.
The fractures within NATO showed in the last Ramstein meeting. The UK along with Poland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Slovakia and the three Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia signed a "statement" The Talinn Pledge. Where are all the other NATO countries?
Article 5 is spoken about in the media-encouraged by government and intel- in terms that are not true. An attack on a NATO state does not commit NATO countries to an automatic all out war. The Talinn 9 "statement" is a stark example of the fissures. There is no chance that Turkiye would join an attack on Russia. "Old Europe" is conspicuous by it's absence from the Talinn "agreement". As are the US. NATO is toothless without the US and Turkiye. The militaries of most of the NATO vassals are small and insignificant.
Let's imagine that Russia launch missiles to interdict arms in Poland. Does anyone believe that NATO dare openly go to war against Russia? There is a reason they use proxies for their provocations. The minute that NATO countries declare that they are at war with Russia is about 5 minutes before a few missiles start hitting military installations and decision making centres of any country willing to declare open war on Russia.
The NATO meeting at Ramstein tells all you need to know.
