Middle East and North Africa

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken may oversee a small military, but it’s one at the center of two of the world’s most consequential multilateral institutions. Belgium hosts the headquarters of NATO and the European Union, both of which have been repeatedly targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump over their perceived lack of support for his war with Iran. 

Trump has intensified his talk about pulling the United States out of NATO, and his administration is reportedly weighing plans to suspend Spain from the alliance (though there is no NATO mechanism to do so) as well as drawing up a so-called “naughty and nice” list of NATO members that would impose consequences on those that have not helped the United States in its war effort. 

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken may oversee a small military, but it’s one at the center of two of the world’s most consequential multilateral institutions. Belgium hosts the headquarters of NATO and the European Union, both of which have been repeatedly targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump over their perceived lack of support for his war with Iran. 

Trump has intensified his talk about pulling the United States out of NATO, and his administration is reportedly weighing plans to suspend Spain from the alliance (though there is no NATO mechanism to do so) as well as drawing up a so-called “naughty and nice” list of NATO members that would impose consequences on those that have not helped the United States in its war effort. 

Francken visited Washington this week, meeting with several U.S. defense officials, including Elbridge Colby—the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy and reported author of the proposal to remove Spain from NATO—and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a day before Hegseth testified before House lawmakers who appear increasingly exasperated with his performance. 

Over a breakfast of waffles, Francken chatted with Foreign Policy about his meeting with Hegseth, the strain Trump has imposed on NATO, and Belgium’s potential role in helping to clear the Strait of Hormuz. The conversation below has been edited for length and clarity. 

Foreign Policy: You met with Hegseth yesterday [Tuesday]. How was that meeting, and what did you hear from him?

Theo Francken: All my meetings went really well. I think that there was always a warm welcome, also by Mr. Hegseth. It was really a very good meeting. What we were talking about, of course, always the same: on the budgets—what is the investment of Belgium, what we are pledging, what is the future foresight on defense investments? Then on industrial cooperation—what can we do together, how can we co-produce also in Europe? What are the plans? What is the possibility? [Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffy] was there also. And then, of course, talking about the Strait of Hormuz, [the] Russian shadow fleet, Iran. I said we’ve got a mine hunter prepositioned to be deployed with an international coalition when there’s a stable cease-fire. We took out a vessel of the Russian shadow fleet, and we’re ready to do more, so it was very to the point. 

FP: Hegseth is appearing in front of Congress today—there has been a lot of tension there with even Republican lawmakers questioning him and his ability, plus the tensions around his sudden removal of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Navy........

© Foreign Policy