US Lawmaker Says Congress Has Final Say On Article 5 War Trigger As Ukraine Files NATO Bid

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st October, 2022) The US Congress still must approve a formal declaration of war before responding to a conflict, even if NATO's Article 5 is invoked, Rep. Thomas Massie said on Friday following Ukraine's formal request to join the security alliance.

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that parties to the agreement will assist other attacked parties as though it were an attack on the entire organization. Earlier on Friday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kiev sent a fast-track application to join NATO.

"There will be much discussion of NATO Article 5 today, but few will mention Article 11, because it exposes the lie that Article 5 itself can obligate the US to war. Article 11 shows Article 5 does not preempt the Constitutional requirement that the full Congress votes on war," Massie said via Twitter, sharing the text of Article 11.

Article 11 states that the North Atlantic Treaty and its provisions are to be "carried out by the Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional processes."

Congress, under Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution, is granted the power to declare war on behalf of the United States.

However, the US President as Commander in Chief of the nation's armed forces has been granted limited authority to use the military in cases of "national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces," according to the War Powers Resolution of 1973.