Controversial Question to Zelenskyy Dominates Belgrade Press Conference

A question directed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a press conference in Belgrade has ignited a firestorm, overshadowing discussions about Serbia's bilateral relations with Ukraine. Mihael Martens, a correspondent for Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), asked Zelenskyy what Europeans could do to help him "kill more Russians, or Russian soldiers."

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What can Europeans do to help you kill more Russians, or Russian soldiers?

The controversial query came after Martens was called upon by a presidential media advisor, Suzana Vasiljević, as the sole journalist not representing Ukrainian or Serbian media. This selection process itself deviated from an initial announcement that only one Ukrainian and one Serbian journalist would be allowed to ask questions.

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That question carries a stance – which a journalist is entitled to have – but I personally would never formulate it that way for ethical reasons.

Veran Matić, a journalist, acknowledged that while Martens has the right to pose such questions, he personally would not phrase it that way due to ethical considerations. Matić speculated that Martens might have intended to emphasize Europe's insufficient aid to Ukraine, suggesting the question was a provocative way to highlight the need for more effective support. Martens later explained on social media that wars are unfortunately won by killing people.

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Perhaps Mihael wanted to amplify the importance of the topic he raised. I assume he wanted to say that Europe has not helped Ukraine enough, that the aid is not effective enough to resist.

Aleksandra Godfroa, a journalist with N1's foreign policy desk, found it unusual that an agency like Reuters was not given a question, while FAZ was. She stated that while journalists have the right to ask provocative questions, they are not absolved of responsibility for the consequences. Godfroa clarified that she does not mean the personal attacks Martens faced, but rather how the question framed Ukraine's goal as solely killing Russian soldiers, potentially misrepresenting Ukraine's defensive stance. The question has also drawn attention in Moscow, potentially complicating Serbian President Vučić's relations with Russia.

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I believe he also had a signal that he would get the opportunity to ask his question. It is difficult to get a chance among so many journalists. So he certainly prepared it.