Dmitry Medvedev criticizes German Chancellor and journalist over controversial remarks

Russian Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and journalist Michael Martens following a controversial question posed during a press conference in Belgrade. The incident occurred during a joint appearance by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, where Martens, a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, asked how Europeans could help Ukraine in “killing as many Russians as possible.”

Medvedev stated that such public statements violate professional taboos and suggested that individuals making such remarks would previously have been expelled from their professions. He further accused Merz of having “Nazi distortions of thought.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova added to the criticism, labeling Martens a “hereditary Nazi” and citing his grandfather’s historical ties to the NSDAP. The Russian Union of Journalists has also called for professional sanctions against Martens for his remarks.