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EU Commissioner Kos cancels trip to Serbia due to Mladic burial

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has canceled her trip to Serbia due to the planned burial of war criminal Ratko Mladic.

4 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: EU Commissioner Kos cancels trip to Serbia due to Mladic burial — Archive photoPhoto: Bosonic dressing · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has canceled her visit to Serbia scheduled for next week. The reason for the cancellation is the planned ceremonial burial of Bosnian-Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic, who died a few days ago.

Kos expressed concerns about the transfer and memorial for Mladic, which she sees as glorification of a convicted war criminal. Her rejection is part of broader worries about the values that the EU represents towards the Western Balkans. She emphasized that EU values are "non-negotiable."

The honoring of Mladic has already caused tensions between the European Union and the Western Balkan country of Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić dismissed Kos's criticism as "foolish" and defended the planned burial. He called the accusations of glorification unfounded.

The EU has repeatedly emphasized that respectful handling of past events and their actors is important for Serbia's rapprochement to the EU. Kos's decision to cancel her trip underscores the ongoing tensions between the two sides in this context.

The situation raises questions about how the EU and Serbia will interact in the future, especially regarding the forthcoming EU accession negotiations.

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