Question

Explain briefly NATO’s principle of collective security.

Answer 1

NATO’s principle of collective security means that an attack against one member country is treated as an attack against all member nations.

Principle of collective security:

• Article 5: This principle is officially written in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
• Mutual Defence: If a member is attacked by an external enemy, every other member will assist them.
• Assistance: Members can provide military troops, weapons, or financial aid to the victim nation.
• Deterrence: The main goal is to stop powerful nations from attacking smaller NATO members out of fear of a massive joint retaliation.
• Historical Use: In NATO history, Article 5 has been invoked only once, which was by the United States after the September 11 attacks in 2001.