Η Φαμίλια Τραμπ εισβάλλει στο Βελιγράδι για μπίζνες, χειρίζεται ένα πρότζεκτ μεγέθους σαν το δικό μας The Ellinikon, και σκορπάει γύρω της διαφθορά υψηλοτάτου επιπέδου. Γιατί; Ποιος ο απώτερος στόχος;
Belgrade's History Sold to Trump's In-Law
Jens Sorensen, Geopolitics
Medium, May 25, 2025
The project is spearheaded by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, whose company seeks to transform a site carrying such painful historical associations into a gigantic real estate complex. But the latest revelations of falsification of official documents involved in sanctioning the project cast a shadow on its chances and underscore the complex intersection of foreign business interests and local political forces in a country long plagued by corruption and authoritarian tendencies.
The luxury hotel project is not just a real estate project — it will demolish a building that is the icon of a painful chapter in Serbia's recent past. The proposed site is the wreckage of the Belgrade headquarters of the Yugoslav army, severely damaged in NATO's 1999 bombing campaign to intimidate the Milosevic government into relinquishing control of Kosovo. The wreckage is a poignant reminder of the devastating impact the war had on Serbia, including heavy civilian casualties from what most view as incompetent air strikes. For Serbs, however, the building stands as a painful reminder of a national trauma that continues to resonate forcefully across the land.
Last year, Jared Kushner's company, Affinity Global Development, announced sweeping plans to lease the property for 99 years and redevelop it into a mixed-use complex anchored by a luxury hotel, with commercial office space and over 1,500 residential units. The complex would also include a memorial to the victims of the NATO bombing, though the specific site and prominence of such a commemoratory element is yet to be decided. Beyond its tangible form, the development is a significant economic and political statement, one that signifies Kushner's ongoing efforts of expanding his real estate holdings abroad and transplanting the Trump family's visibility directly into the Balkans.
The deal itself, it appears, had been arranged through close political ties, with the former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and Trump administration Balkan delegate Richard Grenell reportedly having played the role of a key mediator. This means that the venture was never actually a business contract but one entangled with diplomatic politics and geopolitical interests. Indeed, the involvement of high-level political figures from Serbia as well as from the U.S. underscores the seriousness and sensitivity with which this initiative is pursued by all concerned.
Specifically, the initiative seems to be germane to the entire Trump family. Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the former commander-in-chief, has taken three trips to Belgrade since September 2024 and has been involved in activities that blur lines between business, diplomacy, and politicking. He discussed with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on his podcast and met with members of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, who introduced him to regional business leaders. Such visits point to an attempt to construct elite networks and ensure good terms for the development.
Serbia's government, led by President Vučić, has firmly tipped in favor of Kushner's project. First, the building to be destroyed was being protected as a cultural monument because of its symbolic and historical relevance. The government stripped the building of the status of being a heritage site in November 2024. This came weeks after the director of Serbia's Cultural Heritage Protection Agency, Dubravka Đukanović, had resigned amidst an alleged pressure from the military general staff. Her removal and removal of the protected status opened the way for the building project to proceed.
The public response has been swift and intense. Serbians regard the demolition of the ruins as an erasure of collective memory and abandonment of national heritage. The furore over the hotel development also coincides with broader discontent fueled by deep-seated complaints about corruption and misgovernance. Particularly, the collapse of a station canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad during November 2024 which resulted in 16 deaths sparked nationwide protests demanding accountability and transparency. The protests show a deep crisis within society, with Vučić's government facing mounting pressure and criticism. Demonstrators gathered outside the headquarters of the ex-Yugoslav military in Belgrade to mobilize against Kushner's development, symbolizing more than mere resistance to the hotel but to the current political establishment as well.
No sooner had the project appeared set to take off when a stunning twist of events questioned its viability. The New York Times news and Serbian media reported that Serbia's Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office had opened an investigation into Zoran Vasic, the newly appointed director of the Cultural Heritage Protection Agency. Vasic is charged with falsifying a critical document which was instrumental in removing the building from protected status. Sources indicated that the investigation was launched over an anonymous criminal complaint. Vasic has allegedly admitted to the forgery, and the charges include abuse of office and document falsification.
This revelation has put the project under scrutiny. Kushner's company issued a statement outlining the facts but not admitting that it had attempted to intervene in the review for heritage status and claiming that construction work had not yet begun. But the revelations of falsified documents raise serious doubts about the legitimacy of approvals given to the project and the ethical considerations behind the Trump-linked venture in Serbia.
The broader meaning of the question extends beyond legal technicalities, intruding into more fundamental questions of government, power, and corruption in Serbia. The political atmosphere in Serbia, dominated by Aleksandar Vučić's and his Serbian Progressive Party, has for years been under siege on charges of authoritarianism and cronyism. It is difficult to credit to many onlookers that this critical administrative decision could have been made without political blessing. Others perceive the probe of Vasic as a vendetta action by Vučić himself, conceivably motivated by domestic political rivalries or changing loyalties.
Serbian opposition leaders, such as pro-European National Party of Serbia's Miroslav Aleksić, have declared the probe to be an "act of revenge" against the Trumps, emphasizing the geopolitical significance of the project and the richly interlinked local and international interests. At the beginning of May 2025, Vučić traveled to the United States, allegedly to attempt to meet with then-President Trump, though no such encounter officially occurred due to health complications. Vučić merely had a meeting with Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and Trump ally, demonstrating that high-level contacts between Serbian leadership and Trump's circle still existed.
Other political commentators offer a different interpretation, observing that the inquiry signals Vučić's weakening grip on power. As the country grapples with economic stagnation, social discontent, and mounting demands for reform, it has become increasingly tricky for the president to push through unpopular measures without destabilizing the apparatus. Political strategist Dušan Lj. Milenković argued that the investigation of Vasic and outrage on the streets are a sign of broader social forces against which Vučić will have to navigate carefully.
Despite the scandals, Vučić formally dismissed charges of falsification and irregularities. During a press conference in Tirana, he insisted that there was no falsification whatever and promised open discussion about it. He reiterated the importance of Kushner's project to Serbia's growth and its international reputation.
Lying at the heart of the scandal is the question of why the Trumps invested in a project so embedded within Serbia's conflictive historical memory and political scandals. Was this a business of opportunism, or was it an active decision to play in a politically sensitive field well-known for backroom politics? The apparent willingness to carry on under an atmosphere of corruption represents a utilitarian, if ethically dubious, approach — one founded upon economic incentive rather than ethical restraint.
The economic implications of the project are huge. The construction is expected to bring in huge amounts of foreign investment and create employment opportunities in construction, tourism, and business. For Serbia, a nation trying to boost its economy and appeal to international capital, such a high-profile endeavor has undeniably great appeal. But costs come in the form of not only potential destruction of a significant historical site but also support for a political system that has been unfairly criticized for eroding democratic institutions and accepting corruption.
In addition, the project also raises broader questions regarding the role of outside actors in post-war and Third World countries. The intersection of foreign business interests, national politics, and competing histories creates a volatile combination that can ignite social conflict. The Kushner hotel project highlights how power and global capital tend to intersect with local conditions in forms that threaten transparency and accountability.
Jared Kushner's planned development of a Belgrade luxury hotel is a microcosm of Serbia's endemic problems with corruption, political power, and shared memory. The recent controversy over the use of forged documents has demonstrated the fragility of legal and institutional structures in the country and underscored the controversial intervention by foreign elites in internal affairs. As investigations continue to drag out, the future of the project is far from bright, reflecting Serbia's greater uncertainty about its economic and political future. For the Trumps, the incident serves as a reminder of the risks involved with overseas real estate ventures tied up in complex political situations, where commercial interests conflict with ethical and historical obligations.
Belgrade's History Sold to Trump's In-Law
Jens Sorensen, Geopolitics
Medium, May 25, 2025
A luxury hotel project led by Jared Kushner in Belgrade exposes deep political corruption, forged documents, and the erasure of Serbia's painful historical memory
In the heart of Belgrade, a controversial luxury hotel development project is stirring up controversy and raising profound questions regarding corruption, political patronage, and the role of international elites in shaping Belgrade and Serbia's capital city and the country's political landscape.The project is spearheaded by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, whose company seeks to transform a site carrying such painful historical associations into a gigantic real estate complex. But the latest revelations of falsification of official documents involved in sanctioning the project cast a shadow on its chances and underscore the complex intersection of foreign business interests and local political forces in a country long plagued by corruption and authoritarian tendencies.
The luxury hotel project is not just a real estate project — it will demolish a building that is the icon of a painful chapter in Serbia's recent past. The proposed site is the wreckage of the Belgrade headquarters of the Yugoslav army, severely damaged in NATO's 1999 bombing campaign to intimidate the Milosevic government into relinquishing control of Kosovo. The wreckage is a poignant reminder of the devastating impact the war had on Serbia, including heavy civilian casualties from what most view as incompetent air strikes. For Serbs, however, the building stands as a painful reminder of a national trauma that continues to resonate forcefully across the land.
Last year, Jared Kushner's company, Affinity Global Development, announced sweeping plans to lease the property for 99 years and redevelop it into a mixed-use complex anchored by a luxury hotel, with commercial office space and over 1,500 residential units. The complex would also include a memorial to the victims of the NATO bombing, though the specific site and prominence of such a commemoratory element is yet to be decided. Beyond its tangible form, the development is a significant economic and political statement, one that signifies Kushner's ongoing efforts of expanding his real estate holdings abroad and transplanting the Trump family's visibility directly into the Balkans.
The deal itself, it appears, had been arranged through close political ties, with the former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and Trump administration Balkan delegate Richard Grenell reportedly having played the role of a key mediator. This means that the venture was never actually a business contract but one entangled with diplomatic politics and geopolitical interests. Indeed, the involvement of high-level political figures from Serbia as well as from the U.S. underscores the seriousness and sensitivity with which this initiative is pursued by all concerned.
Specifically, the initiative seems to be germane to the entire Trump family. Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the former commander-in-chief, has taken three trips to Belgrade since September 2024 and has been involved in activities that blur lines between business, diplomacy, and politicking. He discussed with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on his podcast and met with members of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, who introduced him to regional business leaders. Such visits point to an attempt to construct elite networks and ensure good terms for the development.
Serbia's government, led by President Vučić, has firmly tipped in favor of Kushner's project. First, the building to be destroyed was being protected as a cultural monument because of its symbolic and historical relevance. The government stripped the building of the status of being a heritage site in November 2024. This came weeks after the director of Serbia's Cultural Heritage Protection Agency, Dubravka Đukanović, had resigned amidst an alleged pressure from the military general staff. Her removal and removal of the protected status opened the way for the building project to proceed.
The public response has been swift and intense. Serbians regard the demolition of the ruins as an erasure of collective memory and abandonment of national heritage. The furore over the hotel development also coincides with broader discontent fueled by deep-seated complaints about corruption and misgovernance. Particularly, the collapse of a station canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad during November 2024 which resulted in 16 deaths sparked nationwide protests demanding accountability and transparency. The protests show a deep crisis within society, with Vučić's government facing mounting pressure and criticism. Demonstrators gathered outside the headquarters of the ex-Yugoslav military in Belgrade to mobilize against Kushner's development, symbolizing more than mere resistance to the hotel but to the current political establishment as well.
No sooner had the project appeared set to take off when a stunning twist of events questioned its viability. The New York Times news and Serbian media reported that Serbia's Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office had opened an investigation into Zoran Vasic, the newly appointed director of the Cultural Heritage Protection Agency. Vasic is charged with falsifying a critical document which was instrumental in removing the building from protected status. Sources indicated that the investigation was launched over an anonymous criminal complaint. Vasic has allegedly admitted to the forgery, and the charges include abuse of office and document falsification.
This revelation has put the project under scrutiny. Kushner's company issued a statement outlining the facts but not admitting that it had attempted to intervene in the review for heritage status and claiming that construction work had not yet begun. But the revelations of falsified documents raise serious doubts about the legitimacy of approvals given to the project and the ethical considerations behind the Trump-linked venture in Serbia.
The broader meaning of the question extends beyond legal technicalities, intruding into more fundamental questions of government, power, and corruption in Serbia. The political atmosphere in Serbia, dominated by Aleksandar Vučić's and his Serbian Progressive Party, has for years been under siege on charges of authoritarianism and cronyism. It is difficult to credit to many onlookers that this critical administrative decision could have been made without political blessing. Others perceive the probe of Vasic as a vendetta action by Vučić himself, conceivably motivated by domestic political rivalries or changing loyalties.
Serbian opposition leaders, such as pro-European National Party of Serbia's Miroslav Aleksić, have declared the probe to be an "act of revenge" against the Trumps, emphasizing the geopolitical significance of the project and the richly interlinked local and international interests. At the beginning of May 2025, Vučić traveled to the United States, allegedly to attempt to meet with then-President Trump, though no such encounter officially occurred due to health complications. Vučić merely had a meeting with Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and Trump ally, demonstrating that high-level contacts between Serbian leadership and Trump's circle still existed.
Other political commentators offer a different interpretation, observing that the inquiry signals Vučić's weakening grip on power. As the country grapples with economic stagnation, social discontent, and mounting demands for reform, it has become increasingly tricky for the president to push through unpopular measures without destabilizing the apparatus. Political strategist Dušan Lj. Milenković argued that the investigation of Vasic and outrage on the streets are a sign of broader social forces against which Vučić will have to navigate carefully.
Despite the scandals, Vučić formally dismissed charges of falsification and irregularities. During a press conference in Tirana, he insisted that there was no falsification whatever and promised open discussion about it. He reiterated the importance of Kushner's project to Serbia's growth and its international reputation.
Lying at the heart of the scandal is the question of why the Trumps invested in a project so embedded within Serbia's conflictive historical memory and political scandals. Was this a business of opportunism, or was it an active decision to play in a politically sensitive field well-known for backroom politics? The apparent willingness to carry on under an atmosphere of corruption represents a utilitarian, if ethically dubious, approach — one founded upon economic incentive rather than ethical restraint.
The economic implications of the project are huge. The construction is expected to bring in huge amounts of foreign investment and create employment opportunities in construction, tourism, and business. For Serbia, a nation trying to boost its economy and appeal to international capital, such a high-profile endeavor has undeniably great appeal. But costs come in the form of not only potential destruction of a significant historical site but also support for a political system that has been unfairly criticized for eroding democratic institutions and accepting corruption.
In addition, the project also raises broader questions regarding the role of outside actors in post-war and Third World countries. The intersection of foreign business interests, national politics, and competing histories creates a volatile combination that can ignite social conflict. The Kushner hotel project highlights how power and global capital tend to intersect with local conditions in forms that threaten transparency and accountability.
Jared Kushner's planned development of a Belgrade luxury hotel is a microcosm of Serbia's endemic problems with corruption, political power, and shared memory. The recent controversy over the use of forged documents has demonstrated the fragility of legal and institutional structures in the country and underscored the controversial intervention by foreign elites in internal affairs. As investigations continue to drag out, the future of the project is far from bright, reflecting Serbia's greater uncertainty about its economic and political future. For the Trumps, the incident serves as a reminder of the risks involved with overseas real estate ventures tied up in complex political situations, where commercial interests conflict with ethical and historical obligations.
Last edited: