Ratko Mladić, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, given hero’s funeral in Serbia

Ratko Mladić, the former Bosnian Serb commander sentenced for genocide, received a full‑military funeral in Belgrade, with crowds gathering and top Serbian officials in attendance. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as reported by Reuters and Euronews, called the turnout ‘shocking’ and condemned the state‑sanctioned honours. EU institution leaders, cited by Euronews, blasted Serbia for the ceremony.

Bloomberg argued the funeral casts doubt on Serbia’s EU pathway, while the Financial Times confirmed attendance by senior Serbian officials. CNN highlighted the full military rites and large crowds, and the Jerusalem Post offered a reporter’s notebook on Bosnian Serb reflections. News & World Report repeated von der Leyen’s criticism, underscoring the breadth of Western disapproval.

The ceremony deepens the rift between Belgrade’s nationalist constituency, which celebrates the commander, and the EU, which views the honours as a breach of its standards on war‑crime accountability. EU officials’ criticism, noted across Reuters, Euronews and Bloomberg, signals potential setbacks for Serbia’s accession talks, with officials warning that such gestures could delay progress. At the same time, the presence of top Serbian leaders suggests domestic political capital being earned by aligning with nationalist sentiment, though the longer‑term implications for Serbia’s European ambitions remain uncertain.