Belgian defence minister Theo Francken has urged European leaders to maintain strong ties with US President Donald Trump, saying Europe will continue to rely on American military protection for another five to 10 years, while warning the US leader against targeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. His remarks come after Trump joked in a social media post that he would need a restraining order against Meloni, reigniting tensions following their awkward encounter at the G7 summit.
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According to a report by POLITICO, Francken stressed that Europe could not afford to alienate Washington while it worked to strengthen its own defence capabilities. At the same time, he defended the Italian leader, calling her a key figure in Europe's conservative movement.
"Of course we need him as an ally, but don't touch Meloni. She's the queen of centre-right in Europe. She's the alpha. Leave her alone," the Flemish nationalist minister said.
Trump's comments followed a post on Sunday in which he shared a photograph of Meloni and joked that he would need a restraining order against her.
The post came after an awkward exchange between the two leaders at the G7 summit in Evian, France, in June. Trump later claimed Meloni had "begged" him for a photograph, an assertion the Italian prime minister denied.
Expressing disbelief over the row, Francken said, "I love her, she's conservative, she is totally on the same line ... and then you're going to have a fight on what? On a picture!"
The Belgian minister said Europe remained heavily dependent on the United States for its security and would need between five and 10 years to develop the conventional military capabilities currently provided by Washington.
"We need the Americans, be diplomatic, listen to what they say, try to be gentle," he said.
His remarks come as Trump continues to pressure NATO allies over defence spending while the United States reviews its military presence in Europe. Last week, Trump criticised alliance members for failing to spend enough on defence, while US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced a six-month review of America's military footprint across the continent.
The growing threat from Russia and sustained pressure from Washington have prompted European governments to increase defence budgets and strengthen the bloc's defence industry. Francken backed plans for greater cooperation, saying, "I want to see a single market on everything."
He also criticised excessive use of exemptions that allow governments to favour domestic defence firms over European competitors, calling such practices "totally protectionist". Francken said Belgium used such exemptions only in exceptional circumstances, although the country invoked one in 2023 to award a light-arms contract to Belgian manufacturer FN Herstal without a competitive tender.
Belgium's own defence spending, however, remains under scrutiny. Although official government figures place the country slightly above NATO's previous target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence, a monitoring report released on Monday found Belgium would reach only 1.93 per cent by 2029 under current spending plans. That remains well below NATO's new target of 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035, leaving Belgium vulnerable to further criticism from Trump.
