Belgian Defence Minister Warns: 'If Putin Strikes NATO, Moscow Will Be Wiped Off the Map'

Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has warned that Moscow would face devastating consequences if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to attack a NATO member state. Speaking to the Belgian daily De Morgen, Francken said that any strike on the capital of an alliance country, such as Brussels, would trigger a response that would "wipe Moscow off the map."

He underlined that Western nations must remain resolute and not allow themselves to be intimidated by Russian threats or provocations. When asked whether he feared a potential missile strike on Brussels, Francken dismissed the idea, noting that such an act would directly target NATO itself. "If Putin were to do that, he would be striking at the heart of NATO, and Moscow would cease to exist," he said.

However, the Belgian minister also expressed skepticism that the Kremlin would risk such a move, suggesting instead that the real danger lies in Russia’s so-called “grey zone” tactics. Francken warned that Moscow could again employ unmarked soldiers or operatives, often referred to as “little green men,” to stir unrest among Russian-speaking minorities in Baltic states like Estonia. "Before you know it," he said, "they could use that as a pretext to annex part of Estonia."

His remarks come amid ongoing Russian provocations along NATO’s eastern borders. In mid-September, Russian aircraft violated Estonian airspace, one of several recent incidents that have raised tensions in the region. Earlier, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, noted that the alliance’s firm response to such breaches, particularly those in Poland and Estonia, has forced Moscow to act with greater caution.