Request to activate Art. 4 of Washington Treaty announced

The Committee for National Security and Defence Affairs has instructed the Permanent Representative to Nato to apply for the activation of Art. 4 of the Washington Treaty.

"The Committee for National Security and Defence Affairs instructed the Permanent Representative to NATO to submit a request to activate Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. Ambassador Tomasz Szatkowski, together with a group of allies, submitted a relevant request to the Nato Secretary General," the government spokesman Piotr Mueller said on Twitter.

On Wednesday night, Vladimir Putin announced in a televised speech the start of a "special operation in Donbas". According to information from the authorities and reports on social networks, Russian forces have started shelling Ukrainian cities from other directions as well. Explosions were also heard in the Ukraine capital of Kiev.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared a state of emergency across the country after Russia attacked the country on Wednesday night. "Russia has carried out attacks on our military infrastructure, on our border guards. In many cities in Ukraine, explosions have been heard," Zelenskiy said.

In a televised speech, Putin justified his decision by a request from Donbas’ separatists. According to the Russian leader, the purpose of the operation is the "demilitarisation and de-Nazification" of Ukraine.

On Monday, Vladimir Putin decided to recognize the "independence" of the separatist so-called "People's Republics" of the LPR (Luhansk People's Republic) and DRL (Donetsk People's Republic) in Donbas, Ukraine.

A day later, the Federation Council agreed to send Russian troops to the Donbas region.

Russia also stated that it "recognises" separatists within the borders of the entire Donetsk and Luhansk region, within the borders that are wider than currently controlled by pro-Russian forces actively supported by Russia