Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken and the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev exchanged threats of destruction on social media, Belgian media reported.
The reason was an interview by Francken for the newspaper "Morchen", in which he stated that if Russia carried out an air strike on Brussels, Moscow would be wiped off the map of the world in response. Medvedev wrote that if this happened, Belgium would disappear from the map.
Medvedev, known for his sharp statements, especially after the start of the war in Ukraine, made his comment in light of Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of tests of an underwater nuclear torpedo "Poseidon". According to Medvedev, this torpedo "cannot be stopped by anything" and is a salute to his country's enemies, "especially that idiot, the Belgian Minister of Defense".
In a subsequent response, Franken quoted the words of the ancient Roman poet Ovid from the poem "The Art of Loving", where he says that quiet peace is inherent in man, and fierce anger - in a wild beast.
A year ago, the then head of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, indicated that Russia could take military action against several targets in Belgium - NATO headquarters in Brussels, the port of Antwerp, EU institutions in the Belgian capital, or other international organizations located here, such as the global payment system SWIFT. Bauer made the assessment at a hearing before the Defense Committee of the Belgian Federal Parliament.