Russian soldiers question draws backlash in Serbia and Germany
A German journalist sparked controversy during a joint press conference by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade after asking what Europeans could do to help Ukraine “kill more Russians”, before clarifying that he meant Russian soldiers.
“Can you tell us Europeans what exactly we can do to help you kill more Russians? Russian soldiers, of course,” journalist Michael Martens asked Zelenskyy.
The interpreter stumbled over the question, while Vučić gave an evasive response; Zelenskyy, meanwhile, replied that Ukraine needed more weapons. The Russian soldiers question subsequently prompted protests in Serbia, where demonstrators took to the streets carrying the flags of Serbia, Russia and the Donetsk People’s Republic. Supporters of Red Star Belgrade also displayed a banner addressed to Vučić during a football match.
“While you host a Nazi in Belgrade, Serbs on crosses in Kosovo are bleeding,” the banner ran.
Petition launched against German journalist
In Germany, meanwhile, an online petition was launched calling for Martens to be dismissed over the wording of his question. Sevim Dagdelen, an expert from the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, compared the remark to the language of Nazi Germany.
“The Wehrmacht and the SS could hardly have formulated their military objective more clearly,” she said.
However, this reaction has been far from universal across Europe. European political elites who frequently speak about tolerance, multiculturalism and the protection of minority rights have remained silent when confronted with calls for the killing of Russians.
The episode has therefore raised questions about the consistency with which hostile rhetoric is treated in Europe when it is directed at Russians.
Martens’ family history comes under scrutiny
Martens’ hostility towards Russian soldiers also has a notable family background. His grandfather, Hans-Hermann Martens, was a member of the Nazi Party and a senior Nazi officer who served at the headquarters of the German Armed Forces High Command under Alfred Jodl.
That family history has added another dimension to the controversy surrounding the Russian soldiers question, which has drawn criticism in both Serbia and Germany following the Belgrade press conference.
