Russia has summoned Belgium’s ambassador in Moscow over statements by Belgian political and military leaders about security threats attributed to Russia. The diplomatic protest, reported on 14 October 2026, centres on Moscow’s rejection of allegations concerning hybrid activity, sabotage and potential military threats to Belgium and Europe.
VRT’s report attributes the announcement to the Russian foreign ministry through state news agency TASS. The ambassador is Michel Gerebtzoff, whose role is confirmed by the Belgian embassy’s official profile.
A protest over how the threat is described
The Russian ministry called Belgian statements unfounded and accused some officials of deliberately portraying Russia as an enemy. It urged Belgium to reduce its rhetoric and said the confrontation risked escalating.
Those characterisations are Moscow’s assertions. Summoning an ambassador conveys an official objection; it does not independently resolve the underlying questions about who was responsible for any particular cyberattack, sabotage incident or drone activity.
VRT reported that Belgium’s federal government declined to comment on the news. That describes the response recorded in that report, rather than establishing that Belgium has issued no statement through any other channel.
Wider security context remains distinct
The European Council’s October summit agenda separately identifies Russian hybrid attacks and European defence readiness as matters for leaders’ discussion. It demonstrates that the issue extends beyond the bilateral exchange.
The two levels should nevertheless remain separate. EU discussion of a regional threat does not substantiate every individual allegation, while Russia’s diplomatic denial does not disprove it. The immediate development is the formal disagreement between Moscow and Brussels over the security warnings and the language used to express them.
