Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has said he did not actually threaten to “wipe Moscow off the map,” but merely spoke about NATO’s collective defense mechanisms, accusing the media of “paraphrasing” his statements. On Monday, in an interview with La Premiere, he blamed the scandal on De Morgen, insisting he was merely referring to NATO’s collective defense and the improbability of an all-out Russia-NATO war. It is not clear how De Morgen was to blame, as it provided direct quotes from the defense minister, identical to the HUMO version of the interview that was published after the scandal erupted.
Author: RT
Published at: 2025-11-03 23:21:38
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