Belgium’s Defense Minister warns Europe over reliance on US security
Speaking before the Belgian Federal Parliament’s Defense Committee, Francken pointed to rising global tensions—including recent US military operations in Venezuela and uncertainty surrounding Greenland—as signs of the challenges ahead. “The new year has arrived like a storm,” he remarked.
Francken argued that Europe’s emphasis on soft power over hard power for the past three decades has created vulnerabilities. “A world in which our vision of the international legal order is not shared by everyone. The strong do what they want, the weak suffer what they must,” he said, warning that nations without credible military strength risk being sidelined internationally.
He stressed that Belgium and Europe remain “heavily dependent” on US military support, both in the Ukraine conflict and for their own defense. Francken criticized the “hypocrisy” of questioning American reliability while continuing to rely on US backing, attributing this dependence to years of defense budget cuts and gaps in intelligence, air defense, aerial refueling, and drone capabilities.
“Why are we so weak? Because we have completely cut our defense budget... What position have we put ourselves in? What position has weak European leadership brought us to?” he asked.
On Greenland, Francken clarified that Belgium has received no request for troop deployments from the EU, Denmark, or NATO, and confirmed that no Belgian military involvement is planned.
His comments followed repeated statements from US President Donald Trump and his administration suggesting Washington was considering “all options” regarding Greenland, including military force—remarks that have stirred unease across Europe.
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