But now, some 30 years after his brief stint in charge, the fierce anti-European stance of Donald Trump's administration and its outreach to Russia is making the ex-Belgian foreign minister queasy with nerves.
“I can’t understand why they’re being so anti-European and showing solidarity with the Russians at the expense of their long-standing allies. It makes me sick.”
But it was a critical period for the alliance as it searched for its purpose after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and launched its first military operation to intervene in the Balkans.
Claes says he is “waiting impatiently” for NATO's summit in The Hague in June for Trump to give a sign if the alliance will continue in its current form.
As questions hang over Washington's commitment, Claes insists that Europe needs to work on having “greater autonomy” in decisions taken at the alliance.
Claes recognises that Europe is often divided as some countries such as Hungary “prefer dialogue with Moscow”.
Putin's ambitions?
Claes says that in his opinion it was US president George Bush who miscalculated in 2008 by pushing the alliance to say ex-Soviet Ukraine and Georgia would one day become members.
Shortly afterwards Russia launched a lightning war in Georgia -- setting the stage for the tensions to come.
“Obama made a mistake, he gave Putin a signal of weakness. That’s when the Kremlin said to itself ‘it’s time to get on with it’,“ he says.
“But I can’t hide my concerns about nuclear weapons,“ he added.
“There is an urgent need to restore dialogue between the major powers on the control of these weapons, and if possible on disarmament. The whole of humanity is at risk.”
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