BRUSSELS

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken issued a stark warning Monday to Russia, saying any missile strike on Brussels would trigger a decisive NATO response.

"If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin launches a missile at Brussels, we will wipe Moscow off the map," Francken told the De Morgen daily, emphasizing NATO's collective defense commitment.

He downplayed doubts about the US commitment to NATO under President Donald Trump, saying: "The bias against the American government is so great in Europe. Unbelievable...He literally said that America will continue to support its NATO allies one hundred percent. A cruise missile on Brussels? That's a no-brainer, whatever definition you use. Putin won't do that either," he said.

He warned against underestimating Russia's military capabilities, however.

"The Russians have increased their (military) capabilities. Their war economy produces four times more ammunition than all of NATO combined. Europe doesn't even have a central command,” he said.

He also highlighted Russia's struggle in Ukraine, “because they're fighting against the entire West! The Ukrainians are fighting with our weapons, ammunition and money. Otherwise, they would have been overwhelmed long ago."

Looking ahead, Francken acknowledged the possibility of a joint Russian-Chinese challenge to the West.

"China wants the war in Ukraine to drag on because it weakens the West. It's buying Russian raw materials en masse, supplying weapons, and is perfectly happy for Putin to deploy North Korean troops," he said.

"I consider a major Russian attack on the Baltic states less likely. Those are NATO member states, after all. Soon we'll have six hundred F-35s in Europe: the Russians are afraid of them because they can't see them,” he added.