European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa described the funeral images as shocking, adding that official support for Mladic contradicts the values the EU expects from candidate countries.

The EU said it is looking into possible consequences for Serbia’s EU membership bid.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos called the funeral a “test” for Belgrade, cancelled a planned visit, and warned that glorifying Mladic is incompatible with EU values.

The Union has already warned that Serbia could lose access to roughly €1.5 billion in EU funds if it fails to meet accession standards, a risk that the funeral may now increase.

Britain responded by summoning Serbia’s charge d’affaires, condemning the glorification of the war criminal and saying it undermines reconciliation in the Western Balkans.

With democratic backsliding and election irregularities already raising doubts, the funeral adds a new political hurdle that could further delay or even derail Serbia’s path to EU membership.