Biden in Warsaw: NATO’s collective defense principle a ‘sacred commitment’

President Biden reinforced previous comments on the duty to the collective defense principle of  NATO’s Article 5, stating that it is a “sacred commitment.”

“We take Article 5 as a sacred commitment, not a throwaway, a sacred commitment that relates to every member of NATO,” Biden said at the top of a bilateral meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland.

Article 5 is the principle of collective defense, meaning that an attack against one NATO ally is an attack against all.

Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “counting on a divided NATO … But he hasn’t been able to do it.”

Duda, through a translator, mentioned the “great sense of threat” the Polish people are feeling during Russia’s invasion into neighboring Ukraine.

He said that the U.S. and Poland need to stay in “constant contact” during the country’s invasion into Ukraine. Duda said “relations are flourishing” between the U.S. and Poland and that Poland is a “serious” ally. He added that the bond between Poland and the U.S. is “strengthened immensely by your visit.”

Biden said Poland is “taking on a significant responsibility” by welcoming refugees into the country, and added that it should be all of NATO’s responsibility, not just Poland’s.

The president mentioned that the Ukrainian refugees in Poland reminded him of the situation at the U.S. border with Mexico.

Ten million people have been displaced in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, Biden said on Friday, including 3.8 million who have fled to other countries. A significant portion of those refugees have crossed the border into Poland.

On Friday, Biden also received a briefing alongside Duda on efforts to address the refugee crisis.

Biden left the bilateral meeting at the palace on Saturday to meet with refugees at PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw. 

Vice President Harris earlier this month met with Duda and at the time, she affirmed U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance and its collective defense. She also voiced support for a war crimes investigation into Russia and since then, the Biden administration has determined that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine.