Maria Zakharova criticizes EU policy toward Serbia

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has criticized the European Union's stance regarding Serbia, stating that Belgrade's independent policy does not align with the EU's framework. Zakharova's comments were made in response to the EU's reaction to the funeral of Ratko Mladić, who recently passed away while in UN custody.

Zakharova accused the West of attempting to impose a sense of collective guilt on the Serbian people regarding the events during the breakup of Yugoslavia. She claimed that Western capitals share responsibility for those tragic events and characterized the EU's treatment of Mladić as “bloodthirsty and cannibalistic.”

Furthermore, Zakharova highlighted what she described as the EU's “notorious double standards” in its policy toward Serbia. She specifically cited the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, alleging that Kosovo authorities, with tacit EU approval, continue to marginalize the indigenous Serbian population and infringe upon Serbian property and Serbian Orthodox Church sites. She also noted that the Community of Serb Municipalities, promised in agreements from 2013 and 2015, has yet to be formed.