Natascha Wodin criticizes journalist's phrasing in open letter

Author Natascha Wodin has issued an open letter criticizing a phrasing used by FAZ correspondent Michael Martens during a press conference in Belgrade. Martens reportedly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy how Europeans could help “kill more Russians,” adding, “Russian soldiers, of course.”

Wodin, who was born in Germany to a Ukrainian mother and a Russian father who were forced laborers during WWII, expressed concern over the dehumanizing nature of such language. She noted that the distinction between Russians and Ukrainians, which is central to current political discourse, was not recognized in the post-war German environment of her childhood, where she experienced “hatred, violence, and contempt” toward Russians.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) declined to publish Wodin’s letter at the time, a decision Wodin stated she understood because the Russian judiciary had simultaneously issued a warrant for Martens. The letter was eventually published by the Berliner Zeitung on August 24, 2026. The Berliner Zeitung also condemned the Russian authorities' actions against the journalist, emphasizing the necessity of protecting freedom of the press and speech in a democratic society.