{"id":2129950,"date":"2026-09-04T10:29:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T07:29:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2129950"},"modified":"2026-09-04T10:29:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T07:29:31","slug":"eu-warns-serbia-ratko-mladics-funeral-is-important-test-for-future-membership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2129950","title":{"rendered":"EU warns Serbia Ratko Mladi\u0107\u2019s funeral is &#8216;important test&#8217; for future membership"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/13\/07\/1200x675_cmsv2_57e6763b-6233-53c5-9ccd-0940ae54e582-9901307.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2923359-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2923359\" data-cid=\"9902607\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923359-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/25\/95\/189x106_cmsv2_b372487a-7ccd-5a7e-8c56-be1a28bf8974-9902595.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A piece of the Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantom fighter jet is visible at its crash site at Tanagra air base.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Two pilots killed in jet crash during Greek air force annual show\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923305-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2923305\" data-cid=\"9902694\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923305-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/23\/43\/189x106_cmsv2_04a42231-05ff-5154-8bb2-a860d58695f0-9902343.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Foreign Ministry\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Earth News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Paris drops Mercator projection: France now looks smaller on world maps\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923323-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2923323\" data-cid=\"9902651\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923323-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/26\/51\/189x106_cmsv2_a0e7eeb2-e863-5181-b8f0-d640c7ea65ae-9902651.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"President Donald Trump waves while boarding Air Force One, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    World News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US drafting post-war plan for the Middle East, report says\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923340-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2923340\" data-cid=\"9902548\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923340-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/25\/03\/189x106_cmsv2_ab13f44c-2e35-549e-ae00-494ce2e5adb5-9902503.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Border checks on Italian nationals at Barajas airport\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n               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jet crash during Greek air force annual show\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923305-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2923305\" data-cid=\"9902694\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923305-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/23\/43\/189x106_cmsv2_04a42231-05ff-5154-8bb2-a860d58695f0-9902343.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Foreign Ministry\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Earth News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Paris drops Mercator projection: France now looks smaller on world maps\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923323-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2923323\" data-cid=\"9902651\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923323-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/26\/51\/189x106_cmsv2_a0e7eeb2-e863-5181-b8f0-d640c7ea65ae-9902651.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"President Donald Trump waves while boarding Air Force One, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    World News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US drafting post-war plan for the Middle East, report says\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923340-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2923340\" data-cid=\"9902548\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923340-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/25\/03\/189x106_cmsv2_ab13f44c-2e35-549e-ae00-494ce2e5adb5-9902503.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Border checks on Italian nationals at Barajas airport\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Spain to maintain border checks Italy arrivals until 22 September\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            EU warns Serbia Ratko Mladi\u0107\u2019s funeral is &#8216;important test&#8217; for future membership<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/13\/07\/1536x864_cmsv2_57e6763b-6233-53c5-9ccd-0940ae54e582-9901307.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"A woman walks by a mural that shows former Bosnian Serb wartime general Ratko Mladic in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. \"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              A woman walks by a mural that shows former Bosnian Serb wartime general Ratko Mladic in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AP Photo\/Darko Vojinovic\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspMared Gwyn Jones&amp;nbsp&amp;&amp;nbspLuca Bertuzzi\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1788517771\">\n                    Published on                 <time datetime=\"2026-09-04 12:29:31 +02:00\">04\/09\/2026 &#8211; 12:29 GMT+2<\/time><span class=\"c-article-publication-date__bullet\">\u2022<\/span>Updated<br \/>\n                                     <time datetime=\"13:03\">13:03<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup-overlay js-c-article-share-comment-popup-overlay u-display-none\">\n<div id=\"js-c-article-share-comment-popup\" 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video embed link below:<br \/>\n                        <\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed u-display-flex\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/icon-copy-to-clipboard.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Copy to clipboard\" class=\"u-cursor-pointer js-c-article-share-comment-copy\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup__content__embed--success-copied u-display-none js-c-article-share-comment-video-embed-success-link-copied\"><br \/>\n                                Copied<br \/>\n                            <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        EU&#8217;s enlargement chief Marta Kos says Belgrade&#8217;s handling of the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladi\u0107, known as the Butcher of Bosnia, will be a test for Serbia\u2019s EU path and could impact its membership bid.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Senior EU officials have issued a warning to the Serbian government over the funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladi\u0107, with the bloc\u2019s enlargement chief saying that it \u201cwill be a very important test\u201d in Belgrade\u2019s bid to join the European Union and its future path.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Ratko Mladi\u0107 was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest pages in our recent history,&#8221; European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The glorification surrounding his death is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built,&#8221; she added, announcing she had cancelled her planned visit to Serbia. &#8220;The values that underpin our common future are not negotiable.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mladi\u0107 <strong>died on 27 August<\/strong> aged 84 in a UN detention facility in The Hague, where he was serving a lifetime sentence for crimes against humanity related to the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo.<\/p>\n<p>His body was returned to Serbia in a government plane on Thursday, with his coffin carried by soldiers and wrapped in a Serbian flag, shown in images broadcasted on television.<\/p>\n<p>While Serbia\u2019s Minister of Justice Nenad Vuji\u0107 said last week that Mladi\u0107 would be buried with state honours, President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 has since said that the family would decide on the funeral arrangements, and no official plans have been confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>According to Serbian media reports, a commemoration ceremony could take place on Saturday, followed by a funeral in a Belgrade suburb on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Friday morning, Kos said: &#8220;Bringing the remains of Ratko Mladi\u0107 to Belgrade will be a very important test.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There are many things going on in Serbia for the time being (&#8230;) and everything could have the impact on how the member states are evaluating Serbia.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She added that the handling of Mladi\u0107&#8217;s funeral would be considered in relation to Belgrade&#8217;s alignment with the EU&#8217;s foreign and security policy, a key requisite for <strong>joining<\/strong> the bloc.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe state funeral would be unacceptable,\u201d Ireland\u2019s Minister for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne told the press at the margin of a ministerial meeting on Friday. &#8220;I understand that there&#8217;s not actually a state funeral taking place, but there may well be senior figures from government memorialising that man. That&#8217;s not acceptable.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a step distancing Serbia from EU\u2019s fundamental values of respect for human dignity, human rights and the fight against impunity \u2013 going in the opposite direction of what is expected from a EU candidate country,\u201d Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p>The optics around the funeral have escalated to head of state level. At a conference held earlier this week, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi\u0107 warned Serbia that giving the highest honours to the convicted war criminal would be the \u201cequivalent of slamming the door to the European Union yourself\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Two EU officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Euronews that plans for the funeral had caused concern at the heart of the EU executive in Brussels, which sees the future accession of Western Balkan countries as a strategic priority for the bloc.<\/p>\n<p>Diplomatic sources told Euronews that the overall mood as European Affairs Ministers gathered in Ireland for an informal meeting on Friday was that a state funeral for Mladi\u0107 or any commemoration by Serbian state officials would be completely unacceptable and inevitably weaken the support for the country&#8217;s EU bid among member states.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone even considering opening Cluster 3 will think twice,\u201d an EU diplomat told Euronews asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the topic. \u201cIt seems very unlikely that anyone would want to push for that now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this summer, a push by the European Commission to advance Serbia&#8217;s accession by opening talks on competitiveness and growth, known as Cluster 3, <strong>hit a wall<\/strong> as member states raised concerns over controversial judiciary reforms.<\/p>\n<p>The bloc also estimates that Belgrade&#8217;s alignment with the EU&#8217;s Common Foreign and Security Policy stands at 60%, the lowest of all prospective candidates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Montenegro is approaching EU membership. Serbia may try to stop it<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  How Serbia could further complicate Ukraine&#8217;s EU accession bid<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Eight member states oppose the opening of Serbia\u2019s next EU accession cluster <\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Western Balkans<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Serbia<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  EU enlargement<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Bosnia and Herzegovina<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-top-stories\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-top-stories\">\n<h2 class=\"c-top-stories__title\">Top stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2923321-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923321\" data-cid=\"9902459\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923321-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/24\/59\/320x180_cmsv2_8b6389f0-dece-51d9-bd4c-248ade0e2fb3-9902459.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Commercial vessels lie anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US says its forces destroyed three Iranian oil tankers<br \/>\n  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id=\"abe-2923304-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923304\" data-cid=\"9902364\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923304-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/23\/42\/320x180_cmsv2_28f67027-00f1-5dcc-bc75-931cdd47e068-9902342.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Reichstag building on a cloudy summer day in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, 21 July 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Berlin cyberattack: hackers leak highly sensitive data across dark web<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2923324-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 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src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-most-viewed\">\n<h2 class=\"c-most-viewed__title qa-section-title\">Most read<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__list\">\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__item\"><span class=\"c-most-viewed__item__number\">1<\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2923104-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923104\" data-cid=\"9901546\" 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class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Why is fuel expensive when crude oil hasn&#8217;t hit record highs?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-3\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923321-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923321\" data-cid=\"9902459\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923321-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/24\/59\/320x180_cmsv2_8b6389f0-dece-51d9-bd4c-248ade0e2fb3-9902459.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Commercial vessels lie anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US says its forces destroyed three Iranian oil tankers<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923285-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923285\" data-cid=\"9902310\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923285-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/23\/10\/320x180_cmsv2_8cda4534-6a58-5926-ace2-b6f26182ea9c-9902310.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner attend a press conference in Paris in January, 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russia to pause strikes on Kyiv as US peace envoys visit<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923304-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923304\" data-cid=\"9902364\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923304-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/23\/42\/320x180_cmsv2_28f67027-00f1-5dcc-bc75-931cdd47e068-9902342.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Reichstag building on a cloudy summer day in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, 21 July 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Berlin cyberattack: hackers leak highly sensitive data across dark web<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923324-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923324\" data-cid=\"9902462\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923324-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/24\/62\/320x180_cmsv2_02f4a2b6-45d8-5431-932a-ab7f1d97d0bd-9902462.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"FILE: Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic sits in the court room in The Hague, Netherlands, 8 June 2021\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    War criminal Mladi\u0107 commemorated in Belgrade, but no state honours<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923323-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923323\" data-cid=\"9902651\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2923323-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/26\/51\/320x180_cmsv2_a0e7eeb2-e863-5181-b8f0-d640c7ea65ae-9902651.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"President Donald Trump waves while boarding Air Force One, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US drafting post-war plan for the Middle East, report says<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923104-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923104\" data-cid=\"9901546\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Driver of lorry hit by Polish train refused to break through barriers<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923162-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923162\" data-cid=\"9901841\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Spain matches September heat record at 45.7C<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923130-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923130\" data-cid=\"9901686\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Travelling to Europe? EES border checks are changing this weekend<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923071-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923071\" data-cid=\"9901300\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Five EU countries in talks to set up return hubs by 2027<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2923049-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2923049\" data-cid=\"9901134\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Why is fuel expensive when crude oil hasn&#8217;t hit record highs?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Senior EU officials have issued a warning to the Serbian government over the funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladi\u0107, with the bloc\u2019s enlargement chief saying that it \u201cwill be a very important test\u201d in Belgrade\u2019s bid to join the European Union and its future path.&#8221;Ratko Mladi\u0107 was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest pages in our recent history,&#8221; European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos wrote on X.&#8221;The glorification surrounding his death is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built,&#8221; she added, announcing she had cancelled her planned visit to Serbia. &#8220;The values that underpin our common future are not negotiable.&#8221;Mladi\u0107 died on 27 August aged 84 in a UN detention facility in The Hague, where he was serving a lifetime sentence for crimes against humanity related to the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo.His body was returned to Serbia in a government plane on Thursday, with his coffin carried by soldiers and wrapped in a Serbian flag, shown in images broadcasted on television.While Serbia\u2019s Minister of Justice Nenad Vuji\u0107 said last week that Mladi\u0107 would be buried with state honours, President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 has since said that the family would decide on the funeral arrangements, and no official plans have been confirmed.According to Serbian media reports, a commemoration ceremony could take place on Saturday, followed by a funeral in a Belgrade suburb on Monday.Speaking to reporters in Dublin on Friday morning, Kos said: &#8220;Bringing the remains of Ratko Mladi\u0107 to Belgrade will be a very important test.&#8221;&#8221;There are many things going on in Serbia for the time being (&#8230;) and everything could have the impact on how the member states are evaluating Serbia.&#8221;She added that the handling of Mladi\u0107&#8217;s funeral would be considered in relation to Belgrade&#8217;s alignment with the EU&#8217;s foreign and security policy, a key requisite for joining the bloc.\u201cThe state funeral would be unacceptable,\u201d Ireland\u2019s Minister for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne told the press at the margin of a ministerial meeting on Friday. &#8220;I understand that there&#8217;s not actually a state funeral taking place, but there may well be senior figures from government memorialising that man. That&#8217;s not acceptable.&#8221;\u201cIt\u2019s a step distancing Serbia from EU\u2019s fundamental values of respect for human dignity, human rights and the fight against impunity \u2013 going in the opposite direction of what is expected from a EU candidate country,\u201d Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot wrote on X.The optics around the funeral have escalated to head of state level. At a conference held earlier this week, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovi\u0107 warned Serbia that giving the highest honours to the convicted war criminal would be the \u201cequivalent of slamming the door to the European Union yourself\u201d.Two EU officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Euronews that plans for the funeral had caused concern at the heart of the EU executive in Brussels, which sees the future accession of Western Balkan countries as a strategic priority for the bloc.Diplomatic sources told Euronews that the overall mood as European Affairs Ministers gathered in Ireland for an informal meeting on Friday was that a state funeral for Mladi\u0107 or any commemoration by Serbian state officials would be completely unacceptable and inevitably weaken the support for the country&#8217;s EU bid among member states.\u201cAnyone even considering opening Cluster 3 will think twice,\u201d an EU diplomat told Euronews asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the topic. \u201cIt seems very unlikely that anyone would want to push for that now.\u201dEarlier this summer, a push by the European Commission to advance Serbia&#8217;s accession by opening talks on competitiveness and growth, known as Cluster 3, hit a wall as member states raised concerns over controversial judiciary reforms.The bloc also estimates that Belgrade&#8217;s alignment with the EU&#8217;s Common Foreign and Security Policy stands at 60%, the lowest of all prospective candidates.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/09\/04\/eu-warns-serbia-ratko-mladics-funeral-is-important-test-for-future-membership&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/13\/07\/1200x675_cmsv2_57e6763b-6233-53c5-9ccd-0940ae54e582-9901307.jpg&#8221;] Europe News Two pilots killed in jet crash during Greek air force annual show Earth News Paris drops Mercator projection: France now looks smaller on world maps World News US drafting post-war plan for the Middle East, report says Europe News Spain to maintain border checks Italy arrivals until 22 September Europe [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2129950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2129950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2129950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2129950\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2129950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2129950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2129950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}