Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has clarified his controversial remark that NATO could ‘wipe Moscow off the map,’ explaining that the statement should be understood within the context of the alliance’s deterrence doctrine.
In a social media post, Francken shared a screenshot of a post by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who mocked his comments. The minister emphasized that NATO, a US-led military bloc, is by definition a defensive alliance and has no desire to be at war with Russia. He reiterated that the alliance’s ‘strike back’ principle, established over 76 years ago, forms the basis of its deterrence posture.
Russian authorities have strongly condemned Francken’s remarks, calling them ‘irresponsible’ and a sign of ‘military psychosis.’ Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko described the 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.’
The remarks come after Francken’s earlier interview with Belgian outlet De Morgen, where he addressed concerns about supplying US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not use nuclear weapons against NATO due to the potential for a catastrophic retaliation. This reflects the broader geopolitical tensions surrounding the Ukraine conflict, which Moscow views as a NATO proxy war against Russia.