Duda dismisses NATO Article 5 discussions amid Trump's remarks
Poland's President Andrzej Duda has said that there is "no discussion" regarding Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, citing its clear meaning of collective defence.
Duda commented on Wednesday on US President Donald Trump's remarks, suggesting there were "numerous definitions" to NATO's Article 5 concerning mutual assistance in the event of armed aggression against an ally.
Duda declared that unity is one of NATO's key principles. "Article 5 is clear and explicit, and it means collective defence," he said. "And there is no discussion around this article."
At his departure to the NATO summit in The Hague on Tuesday, Trump declined to unequivocally reaffirm his commitment to Article 5 and said that there were "numerous definitions" of the clause and promising to provide his own definition upon his arrival. However, he later said: "We're with them (allies - PAP) all the way."
The Polish president also referred to the new defence spending target set at 5 percent of a NATO member state's GDP, which is expected to be adopted on the second day of the summit. "Everything indicates that we will have unity," he said. (PAP) aj/mf
