'Weak leadership' leaves Europe 'dependent' on US: Belgian defense minister

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Belgium's Defense Minister Theo Francken on Wednesday said that decades of weak leadership and underinvestment in military capabilities have left Europe heavily dependent on the United States for its security.

Speaking before the Belgian Federal Parliament's Defense Committee, Francken addressed rising global tensions, including the recent US military action in Venezuela and the strategic uncertainty surrounding Greenland, Flemish-language broadcaster VRT reported.

"The new year has arrived like a storm," he said, describing the current situation as a preview of challenges to come.

Francken argued that Europe's focus on soft power at the expense of hard power over the past 30 years has created a stark reality.

"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, adding that countries without credible military capabilities risk being sidelined in international affairs.

He stressed that Belgium and Europe remain "heavily dependent" on US military support, both in the ongoing Ukraine conflict and for their own national defense.

Francken criticized the "hypocrisy" of questioning American reliability while insisting European forces act only with US backing, attributing the dependence to years of budget cuts and structural gaps in intelligence, air defense, aerial refueling, and drones.

"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 said.

On the issue of Greenland, Francken confirmed that no request has been made for Belgian troop deployments, either by the EU, Denmark, or NATO, emphasizing that no Belgian military involvement in Greenland is planned.

The remarks come after repeated statements from US President Donald Trump and members of his administration suggesting Washington was considering “all options” regarding Greenland, including the use of force, comments that have triggered unease across Europe.