Kubilius: Russian attack on arms factory would trigger NATO military response

Por Victor Jack, Jacopo Barigazzi — War in Ukraine – POLITICO

BRUSSELS — A Russian bombing attack on a European weapons factory should trigger NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, the EU’s top defense official said Thursday.

The call comes in the wake of a growing number of suspicious incidents at arms factories across Europe, some of which have been attributed to Russia.

“If Russia will hit our factories in European territories, that would be Article 5,” European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told Polish television on the margins of a meeting of the European Parliament’s Defence and Security Committee.

The remarks come after Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Wednesday warned that “weapons factories in European countries that produce arms for Ukraine are potential military targets for Russia.”

NATO chief Mark Rutte this week issued a strong rebuke of Moscow after Russia sent a note to the alliance threatening nuclear escalation over NATO activity near its border.

This week, Estonia said Russian secret services were behind last month’s arson attack on arms contractor Milrem Robotics. Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and other countries are also investigating similar suspicious incidents.

An aide to Kubilius, granted anonymity to speak freely, confirmed that the commissioner’s comments related specifically to an aerial bombardment or missile attack on a factory.

Yet Kubilius’ statement is likely to stir unease within NATO given the sensitivity of discussions around Article 5 and the EU’s non-military role compared to the alliance.

“When Kubilius will become secretary general of NATO he might be able to claim what triggers or doesn’t trigger Article 5,” one NATO diplomat said.

NATO didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by POLITICO.

Fonte: War in Ukraine – POLITICO