NATO Ally Leader Floats Article 5 Protection for Ukraine

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has suggested NATO's Article 5 protection could be extended to cover Ukraine even if it is not a full member state, suggesting this would be better than options such as the deployment of peacekeeping forces to monitor a ceasefire.

Article 5 states that an attack on any NATO member would be treated like an attack on them all.

"Extending the same coverage that NATO countries have to Ukraine would certainly be much more effective, while being something different from NATO's membership," Meloni said at a press briefing in Brussels, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

"I think that would be a stable, lasting, effective security guarantee, more than some of the proposals I'm seeing," she said.

Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Ukraine's desire to join NATO is a highly contentious subject and Moscow could be angered by any moves to extend the alliance's support for Kyiv.

Italy has been one of Ukraine's most steadfast supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has provided Kyiv with six military support packages, according to Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Meloni's proposition, in combination with the country's backing of Ukraine since 2022, could heighten tensions between Rome and Moscow.

What To Know

During her press briefing at the European Council on March 6 the Italian prime minister said that Article 5 could be applied to "Ukraine... even on territory outside NATO, regardless of Kyiv's membership [of NATO]."

NATO's Article 5 states that: "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-defense recognized 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."

The first and only time that Article 5 has been invoked was after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York, although "collective defense measures" have been taken on several occasions, including in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Meloni also said that the simplest solution to Kyiv's security issues would be to send European troops to Ukraine, as the U.K. has offered to do, but she has ruled out deploying Italian troops.

Ukraine has sought NATO membership since 2022, applying for fast-track membership seven months after Russia launched its invasion.

Ukraine's desire to join NATO has been a key point of contention between Kyiv and Moscow, and Russia has demanded that Ukraine give up its aspirations of joining the alliance as part of a future peace agreement to end the fighting in Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been pushing for Ukraine to "forget joining NATO" and said that these aspirations are "probably the reason the whole thing started."

Kyiv has remained insistent on joining the alliance, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky including membership in the organization in his initial "Victory Plan" that he presented to allies in September 2024.

Public sentiment within Ukraine regarding joining the alliance has shifted since the war began, with hopes of joining NATO diminishing, according to a poll conducted by Gallup in November 2021.

What People Are Saying

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Laurence (Larry) Boorstein, a project management professional, wrote: "Giorgia Meloni's idea of Ukraine having NATO-level Art. 5 security guarantees without being a member of NATO is about as good an idea as it was for the Italian Army in Russia (ARMIR) to deploy in Stalingrad during WW II."

Anna Komsa, a pro-Ukraine user, wrote on X: "After September 11, 2001, the whole Europe answered unconditionally to the US call and invocation of Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Today, Russia can freely invade and bomb Ukraine or any other sovereign European country and be rewarded by Trump's America."

In response to another user's post about NATO's Article 5 being invoked after 9/11, Alyssa Farah Griffin, former White House director of strategic communications and assistant to President Trump, wrote on X: "AND Ukraine contributed forces in both Iraq & Afghanistan to support the US, despite not being a NATO member."

What Happens Next

Ukrainian officials will meet with U.S. counterparts in Saudi Arabia next week to continue peace negotiations in a bid to halt the fighting with Russia.