>

They haven’t tested anything much. Everything we’ve given is super old. Javelins are old. M777s are old. HIMARS are old. The only relatively new thing is the switchblade suicide drones.
"De Facto" literally means not in accordance to law, but effectively the same.  Nearly every single NATO member is providing military assistance to Ukraine.  The effective difference between the aid they are retrieving and full NATO membership could be debatable since NATO doesn't require member nations to send ground forces or control airspace or even declare war with the invading nation. >


NATO doesn't require member nations to send ground forces or control airspace or even declare war with the invading nation.

What good is Article 5, then, if all member nations can decline to declare war? >

If article 5 is invoked all of the members of NATO will come to the attacked country’s defense with such action that they deem necessary. That have to contribute in one way or another but they are not all required to or expected to fully mobilize their militaries and send them to war because there are NATO members whose militaries are irrelevant.  Like… if NATO went to war with Russia a country like Croatia really has nothing meaningful to contribute militarily so they would find other ways to contribute. >

Okay, what's stopping the U.S. from sending "Thoughts and Prayers"? >

If somehow the U.S. congress and president justified to themselves that 'thoughts and prayers' were deemed 'necessary', then maybe.  Article 5 does say that member nations should act in sufficient capacity as if they were themselves attacked. >

In a capacity as if my own country were attacked would mean boots on the ground and planes in the sky. I can't imagine it would be much different for any nation. >

I would hope so, but the treaty allows a lot of wiggle room.   I guess it's better to allow a bit of slack than to break the treaty altogether? >

He said it just to troll Putin.  For the lulz! >

I mean, yeah, they're doing our dirty work, field testing the new toys.