Senior EU official cancels Serbia trip over planned tribute to Mladic

Mladic's body arrives to full military honours in Serbia AJ Shorts.

Key points

• Despite a UN court conviction in 2017, Mladic is considered a hero by sections of the Serbian public and political establishment.
• Regional N1 television quoted Serbian populist President Aleksandar Vucic as saying that Kos's explanation was "very short but stupid".
• Serbia has been negotiating EU accession since 2014, but the process has stalled over recent years under Vucic.
• Mladic's body was flown from The Hague to Belgrade, where it was received with a guard of honour on Thursday, days before his scheduled burial.
• According to the Serbian administration, Mladic will be buried with state and military honours.

Mladic's body arrives to full military honours in Serbia AJ Shorts. By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and AP. Published On 5 Sep 20265 Sep 2026.

Meanwhile, the European Union's enlargement chief Marta Kos has cancelled her upcoming visit to Serbia over what she called the "glorification" of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic after his death.

Kos took to X on Friday to condemn the "glorification surrounding his death", saying it "is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built".

"In this context, I have decided not to proceed with my planned visit to Serbia at this time, " Kos continued.

Known as the "Butcher of Bosnia", Mladic died at the age of 84 on August 27 while serving a life sentence in The Hague for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the Bosnian War.

Despite a UN court conviction in 2017, Mladic is considered a hero by sections of the Serbian public and political establishment. Supporters were seen cheering as his body was driven through Belgrade on Thursday.

According to Vucic additionally, the administration would provide "every kind of logistical and transport support" and that he anticipated tens of thousands to attend the funeral.

Mladic was one of the most notorious military commanders of the Bosnian War. It left more than 100, 000 individuals dead. His legacy is closely linked to the Srebrenica genocide, in which his forces killed more than 8, 000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys in July 1995.

For now, senior EU official cancels Serbia trip over planned tribute to Mladic remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.