‘…then the name and trace of Moscow will be erased from the face of the earth’, why did the Belgian Defense Minister threaten Putin?

Recently, Russia tested a missile that can fly in the air for unlimited time. Russia has received a threat amid this new weapon system. Belgian Defense Minister Theo Franken has said that if Russia tried to attack Brussels, NATO would completely destroy Moscow in response. Speaking to the Belgian magazine Humo, he said that he has no fear about an attack by Russian President Vladimir Putin, because such a move would be an attack on the heart of NATO and then ‘we will erase Moscow from the world map.

Putin will not attack nuclear – Franken claims
Franken said that Putin knows that Russia cannot use nuclear weapons, because doing so would result in retaliation from NATO. He said, if Russia launches a nuclear attack, it will mean the end of Russia from the world.

Concern expressed over Russia’s ‘grey zone strategy’
The Belgian minister also said that he is more threatened by Russia’s ‘secret methods’. According to him, Russia can destabilize NATO countries in Little Green Men-like ways, such as provoking Russian-speaking minorities in Estonia and trying to take over there. This was a reference to the strategy Russia used during the occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Russian Embassy said – provocative and irresponsible statement
The Russian Embassy in Belgium issued a statement on Tuesday calling Franken’s comments “provocative and far from reality.” However, Franken defended his statement on social media, saying that his words were taken out of context.

Concern increases due to increasing drone incidents in Europe
In recent weeks, there have been incidents of several drones and aircraft belonging to Russia entering NATO and EU airspace. Last month, about 20 Russian drones entered Poland, some of which were shot down by NATO fighter jets. Belgium on Wednesday launched an investigation into the drone intrusion, the second such incident this month.

EU countries built ‘drone wall’
The EU member countries of Eastern Europe have recently decided to build a ‘drone wall’ to strengthen air security. Analysts believe that Russia is testing NATO’s unity and response capability through these incidents. However, the Kremlin has refused to consider these incidents as deliberate provocations.