Theo Francken has said his statement should be seen in the context of NATO’s deterrence doctrine
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has sought to clarify his statement that NATO could “wipe Moscow off the map,” insisting it was made in the context of the bloc’s principle of deterrence. Moscow condemned his “irresponsible” rhetoric as an example of “military psychosis.”
Francken posted his comments on Thursday on social media, also 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 post, Francken said NATO “is not at war with Russia and has no desire to be,” describing the US-led military bloc as “by definition a defensive alliance.” He added that NATO’s ‘strike back’ principle had been “undisputed for 76 years” and formed the foundation of the bloc’s deterrence posture.
“That’s what I meant in the… interview, and I don’t take back a single word,” he wrote.
Francken’s clarification followed remarks he made in an interview with Belgian outlet De Morgen earlier this week, in which he brushed off concerns that supplying US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could provoke a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO. He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not use nuclear weapons because the US-led bloc 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 described Francken’s remarks 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 characterized the Ukraine conflict as a NATO proxy war against Russia, arguing that Western arms deliveries will only prolong the hostilities rather than change the outcome.
