Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has denied making direct threats against Moscow, insisting his remarks focused on NATO’s collective defense protocols and the unlikelihood of a Russia-NATO conflict. The minister sparked international attention after an interview with HUMO magazine, which was first reported by De Morgen. During the discussion, Francken dismissed concerns that supplying US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could provoke a full-scale war between Russia and NATO. He argued that any attack on Brussels would prompt the alliance to “wipe Moscow off the map.”
Francken has since sought to clarify his statements, blaming media outlets for misrepresenting his words. In an interview with La Premiere, he claimed De Morgen distorted his remarks, stating he was only addressing NATO’s defensive mechanisms. “Morgen paraphrased what I said in a mean, incorrect, unfair way,” Francken said. He explained that he answered a question about whether Putin would deploy a nuclear weapon against Brussels by asserting that Russia would face retaliation with weapons targeted at Moscow.
Russian officials condemned the remarks as reckless and inflammatory. Former President Dmitry Medvedev called Francken an “imbecile,” while Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko described his comments as reflecting a “military psychosis” in Western Europe.