Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president turned hawkish deputy security council chairman, has unleashed tirade against Belgium’s defence minister Theo Francken.
Medvedev called Francken an “imbecile” in a post on X late yesterday celebrating a purported Russian nuclear drone test.
The outburst came hours after Francken’s stark warning published in an interview in daily De Morgen that NATO would “wipe Moscow off the face of the Earth” if Russia launched missiles at Brussels – the bloc’s political heart.
Francken, a leading figure in the Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever-led coalition, dismissed peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as unrealistic, insisting the Russian leader “knows the consequences” of nuclear escalation.
Medvedev’s riposte tied into Moscow’s announcement of a “successful test” of the Poseidon, a nuclear-powered underwater drone touted as unstoppable and capable of triggering radioactive tsunamis.
“Congratulations to all of Russia’s friends and especially the imbecile Belgian minister of defence on the successful test of the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone,” he wrote.
“Unlike the Burevestnik, the Poseidon can be considered a true doomsday weapon.”
Congratulations to all of Russia's friends (and especially the imbecile Belgian Minister of Defence) on the successful test of the Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone. Unlike the Burevestnik, the Poseidon can be considered a true doomsday weapon ⚡️💀
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) October 29, 2025
The post quickly gained more than 10,000 likes and sparked a torrent of memes and replies, including one user quipping that Poseidon needed “more testing” – on Belgium. Medvedev fired back: “Then Belgium will disappear.”
Francken also responded with a Latin quote from the Roman poet Ovid: “Candida pax homines, trux decet ira feras.”, which can be translated as: “Genuine peace is for the civilised, savage anger is for wild beasts.”
His comments echoed broader Belgian anxieties over its NATO role, with the country hosting the alliance’s headquarters and facing Russian hybrid threats such as drone incursions over military sites.
Last year, NATO’s then-military chief Rob Bauer flagged Belgium as a prime target, citing Brussels’ institutions and Antwerp’s port.
Francken has since pushed for beefed-up air defences and F-35 jet fighter integration, framing Russia as an existential foe.
His original quote, which angered Medvedev so much, was a reply to the question on possible Moscow retaliation for helping Ukraine strike deep in Russia, something the Kremlin called a “turning point”.
“Putin said the same when Finland and Sweden joined NATO, when we delivered tanks, missiles, F‑16s … The lesson is that we must not allow ourselves to be threatened,” Francken said.
“At first we only dared to fight back in Ukraine, out of fear of Putin’s reaction. That only prolonged the war, because all supply lines run through Russia.
“You have to attack them, as we are finally doing now. That was also a red line for Putin, but what did he do? Nothing,” he said.
“He knows: ‘If I use nuclear weapons, they will wipe Moscow off the map. Then it would be the end of the world,’” Francken stated.
In response to the question whether Putin would ever fire a non‑nuclear missile at Brussels, he said: “No, because then he would hit the heart of NATO and then we would flatten Moscow.”
Medvedev’s venom is par for the course in his post-presidency pivot to Telegram and X provocateur, where he has aimed numerous insults at western leaders.
In September he wrote: “European leaders are insignificant degenerates, incapable of taking on the burden of responsibility for any serious matter.”
Medvedev referred to “old, frigid Europe” as “weak, ugly and useless” when speaking about the European Union’s role in the world.
In March 2024 he said: “European leaders are a**holes, weaklings, nonentities … They want the gold returned to Romania … The various a**holes from the European Parliament have worked up an appetite again.”
