 and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg give a joint press conference Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made sweeping claims about the UK's preparedness to support Ukraine as it faces invasion from Russia. The line, however, has been drawn at the introduction of a no-fly zone which would - if introduced - limit Russian air superiority leaving its troops more vulnerable. The move however has been firmly ruled out over fears it would cause a major escalation to the conflict. The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said that were any NATO fighters to shoot down a Russian jet it would trigger Article 5, which would lead to all 30 member states being forced into the defence of one another. Speaking to Sky News he said: 'The triggering of that Article 5 would lead to a war against Russia across the whole of Europe. That is not a position that members of Nato are prepared to go'. But what is Article 5, and what would it really mean were it to be triggered? What is Article 5? NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the media following Russia's invasion of Ukraine ( REUTERS) NATO's Article 5 focuses on the principle of collective defence, that each of its members is duty-bound to come to the aid of any other under attack. NATO itself says on its website: 'The principle of collective defence is at the very heart of NATO's founding treaty. It remains a unique and enduring principle that binds its members together, committing them to protect each other and setting a spirit of solidarity within the Alliance.' In other words, an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all NATO members. So, were a single British jet to come under an attack imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, all other 29 member states would regard it as an attack on one of their own. Article 5){kind=link}
Article 5, the principal at the heart of NATO, provides the alliance’s members with unprecedented support and safety – it also threatens them with the risk mass conflict
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made sweeping claims about the UK’s preparedness to support Ukraine as it faces invasion from Russia.
The line, however, has been drawn at the introduction of a no-fly zone which would – if introduced – limit Russian air superiority leaving its troops more vulnerable.
The move however has been firmly ruled out over fears it would cause a major escalation to the conflict.
The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said that were any NATO fighters to shoot down a Russian jet it would trigger Article 5, which would lead to all 30 member states being forced into the defence of one another.