International Backlash Following Ratko Mladic Funeral in Serbia

The European Union and the United Kingdom have condemned the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic in Belgrade, Serbia, citing the glorification of a man responsible for genocide. Thousands of people attended the ceremony, which included military honors and the presence of at least six Serbian ministers. In response, the UK summoned a top Serbian diplomat to condemn the country's involvement, while Bosnia expelled two Serbian diplomats and announced the withdrawal of most staff from its embassy in Belgrade.

Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb commander, died last month while serving a life sentence at The Hague. He was convicted in 2017 of genocide, specifically for orchestrating the 1995 Srebrenica massacre where 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa stated that the official support for the funeral contradicts the values required for Serbia's path toward EU membership.

Serbian President Aleksander Vucic, who did not attend the event, rejected allegations that Mladic was being glorified and claimed the funeral was organized by the family rather than the state. However, reports indicate that the body was transported from The Hague to Belgrade via a government plane accompanied by the Serbian Justice Minister.

Outlets with a center lean focused on the diplomatic repercussions and the official statements from the UK and EU. Outlets with a center left lean emphasized the chilling nature of the hero treatment and the potential for the event to jeopardize Serbia's integration into the European Union.