European Union officials have strongly condemned the extensive honors paid to convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic at his funeral in Belgrade, Serbia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the images from the funeral as “shocking,” specifically criticizing the official support and presence of high-ranking Serbian officials. She stated this demonstrates an inability to confront a dark chapter in recent European history. EU foreign policy chief Kallas called the ceremony an insult to the victims, their families, and all who suffered during the conflicts in the Western Balkans. While not a state funeral and not attended by President Vucic due to pressure from Brussels, Mladic received military honors, and multiple Serbian ministers were present. Mladic was serving a life sentence in Scheveningen for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, including the Srebrenica massacre of over 8,000 Bosnian boys and men in 1995, as determined by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in Den Haag. Despite his convictions, Mladic maintains support among a segment of the Serbian population. The Netherlands also expressed disapproval of the honors bestowed upon Mladic in Belgrade, deeming them incompatible with European values and deeply hurtful to the victims and their families.