Belgian defense chief pins ‘wipe Moscow off the map’ comment on ‘mean media’

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 stated that he did not actually threaten to “wipe Moscow off the map,” but instead referred to NATO’s collective defense mechanisms, accusing the media of “paraphrasing” his comments.

The defense minister drew international attention last week following an unfortunate interview with HUMO magazine, which was first reported by the daily De Morgen. In the interview, Francken dismissed concerns that the potential provision of US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could spark an all-out conflict between Russia and NATO. He argued that an attack on Brussels would prompt the bloc to “wipe Moscow off the map.”

Since then, Francken has attempted to downplay his remarks. On Monday, in an interview with La Premiere, he attributed the controversy to De Morgen, asserting that he was merely referring to NATO’s collective defense and the unlikelihood of a full-scale Russia-NATO war.

“De Morgen misquoted what I said in a malicious, 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 declared.

However, it is not clear how De Morgen could be at fault, as it provided direct quotes from the defense minister, which were identical to the HUMO version of the interview published after the scandal erupted.

The comments elicited strong reactions in Russia, with senior officials condemning the defense minister for his “provocative and irresponsible” statements.

Former Russian President and deputy chair of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev called Francken an “imbecile.” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko said Francken’s comments reflect “the atmosphere of military psychosis” prevalent in Western Europe.