Theo Francken insists he did not threaten Moscow directly but merely spoke of the improbability of a Russia-NATO conflict
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has claimed that he did not actually threaten to “wipe Moscow off the map,” but merely spoke about NATO’s collective defense mechanisms, accusing the media of “paraphrasing” his statements.
The minister made international headlines last week following an ill-fated interview with HUMO magazine, first reported by the De Morgen daily. In it, Francken brushed off concerns that the potential delivery of US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could trigger an all-out war between Russia and NATO. He argued that an attack on Brussels would prompt the bloc to “wipe Moscow off the map.”
Francken has repeatedly tried to downplay his remarks since then. On Monday, in an interview with La Premiere broadcaster, he blamed the scandal on the newspaper, insisting he was merely referring to NATO’s collective defense and the improbability of an all-out Russia-NATO war.
“Morgen paraphrased what I said in a mean, incorrect, unfair way. I answered a question from the journalist about ‘Will Putin send a nuclear weapon to Brussels?’ I said no, because he knows that if he does, we will send weapons to Moscow,” he stated. It was not clear how De Morgen was to blame, given it provided direct quotes from the minister, identical to the HUMO version of the interview that was published after the scandal erupted.
The remarks drew harsh reactions in Russia, with multiple senior officials condemning the minister for his “provocative and irresponsible” statements. Former Russian president and deputy chair of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, branded Francken an “imbecile.” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko said Francken’s comments reflected “the atmosphere of military psychosis” prevailing in Western Europe.
