This morning in Brussels, NATO confirmed that Canada has formally requested Article 4 consultations — a serious step that allows member states to meet when they believe their security or sovereignty is threatened. This is only the seventh time Article 4 has ever been invoked — and the first time it has been used over concerns about another NATO member.
Canada did not name the United States directly, but its request references statements questioning Canadian sovereignty and threats to review NORAD. Canada is asking NATO to reaffirm member sovereignty, review North American defense stability, and explore backup intelligence and defense coordination if U.S.–Canada cooperation weakens.
Several NATO countries — including the UK, France, Germany, and others — have expressed support for consultations. The White House dismissed the move as political, while the Pentagon signaled it would participate constructively, revealing internal U.S. divisions.
This puts Washington in a difficult position: engaging validates Canada’s concerns, while rejecting the process risks isolating the U.S. within its own alliance.
Three possible outcomes: the U.S. retreats under alliance pressure, NATO becomes internally divided, or Canada gradually realigns its defense relationships toward Europe.
What happens next could shape the future of NATO and Western security.
No comments:
Post a Comment