Luxembourg MEP Fernand Kartheiser said the Baltic states should not count on Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty being applied if they continue provocations against Russia. He made the statement in an interview with RIA Novosti during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Kartheiser commented on reports about possible escalation between Russia and some Eastern European states, including the Baltic countries. According to him, if these states choose a provocative policy toward Russia, they should not expect NATO support.

He stressed that NATO is a defensive alliance, and collective defense mechanisms should apply only in the event of aggression against a member state, not when individual countries themselves contribute to escalating tensions. Kartheiser also recalled that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that an armed attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against the entire alliance.