EU leaders call Mladić funeral in Belgrade shocking
By The BriefBrief
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa condemned images from Ratko Mladić’s funeral in Belgrade as “shocking,” saying he was a convicted war criminal responsible for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The criticism followed attendance by senior Serbian officials with military honours, which EU leaders said clouds Serbia’s EU bid.
WHO:Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa
WHAT:EU institution leaders condemned the presence of senior Serbian officials at Ratko Mladić’s Belgrade funeral and called the images “shocking.”
WHEN:Sep 8, 2026
WHERE:Belgrade, Serbia
WHY:They reacted to images and reports of senior Serbian officials attending the funeral with military honours, which they said glorified a convicted war criminal and clouded Serbia’s EU accession bid.
