TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — For many humanitarians, Poland was their safe place when helping Ukraine. Earlier this year, Simone Knego called Poland a temporary home while she volunteered to help Ukrainian refugees.
"Millions of people came in through that border crossing and into Poland. So I think that it played a huge role in the safeguarding of people," she recalled.
Knego remembers a moment one of her daughters questioned the safety of the country bordering Ukraine.
"One of my daughters said to me, 'It's not safe, Mom,' and I said, 'Well, it's safe there. It's part of NATO. We're not going to worry about bombs falling in Poland.'"
However, the country was bombed Tuesday, Nov. 15. Polish media reported that two people diedTuesday afternoon after a projectile struck an area where grain was drying in Przewodów, a Polish village near the border with Ukraine.
However, the specifics of who launched the missile and why are currently under investigation.
University of South Florida professor Tatsiana Kulakevich said what happens next depends on Poland.
"We will see that this kind of first step is, we will see what Poland wants. Does it want to invoke Article Four, Article Five?" she said.
NATO Article number 5 states, “if a NATO ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the ally attacked.”
Under Article 4: “the parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”
But Kulakevich said this doesn't necessarily mean World War III.
"I would say 'Hold your horses.' Article Five is not in the discussion. Investigations are underway for Article Five, meaning World War III, potentially when NATO members are protecting each other, is not going to happen tomorrow. And we just need to remember history. Only once in history Article Five was invoked, and it took months for them to agree and start acting," she added.
Kulakevich said what we are likely to see next is a no-fly zone and more aid going to Ukraine.
"The NATO members can agree to send them more military equipment to Ukraine and increase that equipment, and Ukraine has been asking for it. And potential activities that could happen would be a no-fly zone across the western border of Ukraine or on the border where it borders with NATO members," she said.
Knego said she wants people to keep the people in Ukraine and Poland in their hearts.
"These are people. This is our humanity, and just making sure that we're really keeping this at the forefront of our minds on what's happening to other people in this world," she said.
Just how involved the United States will get also depends on the investigation and multiple high level meetings. President Biden has called an emergency meeting with world leaders to discuss the situation.
