Key facts
- Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken believes Europe requires U.S. defense assistance for another five to 10 years.
- Francken urged caution in dealings with Donald Trump, particularly regarding his public criticism of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
- Trump had recently posted a photo of Meloni and made comments about her after a G7 summit meeting.
- Francken advocated for a unified European defense market and discouraging national protectionism in arms contracts.
- Belgium's defense spending is not on track to meet NATO's future target of 3.5% of GDP.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has stated that Europe still requires U.S. assistance for continental defense for potentially another decade, urging leaders to be diplomatic with Donald Trump. However, Francken drew a line at Trump's recent public criticisms of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whom he described as "the queen of center-right in Europe" and "the alpha."
Francken's comments follow Trump's posting of a photo of Meloni and joking about needing a restraining order, which came after an awkward meeting at the G7 summit where Trump claimed Meloni had "begged" him for the picture. Francken expressed frustration over such disputes, emphasizing the need to "keep the Americans on board" given Europe's ongoing efforts to build its own defense capabilities.
The minister highlighted that it would take Europe "five to 10 years" to develop the conventional military strength currently provided by the U.S. He also called for a single market in European defense procurement, urging countries to limit the use of protectionist opt-outs that favor domestic companies. Francken noted that Belgium itself had used such a loophole previously.
Francken's remarks come amid increased pressure on European nations to boost defense budgets due to threats from Russia and Trump's consistent criticism of NATO allies' spending. The European Commission is preparing proposals to foster cross-border defense procurement. Despite Belgium being near NATO's former 2% GDP defense spending target, official figures suggest it will only reach 1.93% by 2029, falling short of the alliance's new 3.5% target by 2035.