Poland's Sikorski: 'We Certainly Hope' Article 5 Would Defend Poland — No Longer Certain

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski — when asked in a television interview whether NATO would defend Poland if attacked — replied only 'we certainly hope so.' Sikorski acknowledged that Article 5 'doesn't say that you have to go to war' when a member is attacked, only that it treats an attack on one as an attack on all. He drew a comparison to the UK not joining the Vietnam War, suggesting NATO survived past crises of allied non-participation. The statement was the most explicit acknowledgment by a senior Polish official that US Article 5 reliability is now genuinely uncertain. Coming from Poland — NATO's highest defense spender at 4.12% GDP and the alliance's most committed eastern flank ally — it carried particular weight. The statement accelerated Polish domestic debate about whether to accelerate joint nuclear deterrence discussions with France and the UK.