Controversial question in Belgrade — "What can Europeans do to help him kill more Russians?"

At a joint press event in Belgrade on 8 August 2026, a question from Michael Martens of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky provoked a fierce reaction across Serbia and beyond. Martens asked, "what can Europeans do to help him kill more Russians, i.e. Russian soldiers," a formulation that quickly became the most noted moment of the encounter between Zelensky and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Journalistic provocation and public backlash

The question was posed after Martens — the only non-Serbian, non-Ukrainian reporter called on at the briefing in the Palace of Serbia — was invited forward by the Ukrainian presidential media adviser. Organizers had earlier told journalists that only one Ukrainian and one Serbian reporter would be allowed to ask questions.

Reactions in Belgrade were swift. Calls circulated on social media for Martens to be expelled from the country, and he received death threats; critics said the wording of the question crossed an ethical line, while supporters argued he was forcing discussion about the brutal reality of armed conflict.

Veran Matic, a veteran Serbian journalist, said the question carried an opinion — which any reporter may hold — but added he personally would not have framed it that way for ethical reasons. Matic suggested Martens may have prepared the intervention in advance, noting the difficulty of standing out among many reporters at such events.

Martens responded on X to a Russian outlet that had called the question "scandalous": "No, dear friends from Sputnik, it is not 'scandalous' to ask the Ukrainian president how Europe can help Ukraine kill more Russians. That is what is needed. What is scandalous is the war your sponsor Putin started against Ukraine," he wrote. Despite the online attacks and threats, Martens posted that he planned to go out that evening and named the café he would visit.

Both presidents reacted in the hall. Vucic — although not addressed by the question — said, "We did not talk about military cooperation today. What will happen when the war ends is another matter. As for killing, I hope the killing will stop." Zelensky replied to the substance of the query by urging stronger European support and funding for Ukraine: "When it comes to what we need from Europe, I believe we need greater support, with due respect to everyone. We need more finances to keep fighting. Those funds must be distributed across Ukraine, because Ukraine is the one that fights. So we must fight for every penny, every day."

Photo: EPA/ANDREJ CUKIC