According to the Wall Street Journal, Jared Kushner has abandoned plans to develop a Trump-branded hotel complex on the former Yugoslav army headquarters site in central Belgrade, following mounting political, legal and public opposition in Serbia. The project, which had become highly controversial due to its location on a NATO-bombed heritage site and the government’s efforts to strip it of protected status, ultimately stalled amid investigations, protests and growing scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest.
The controversy has been intensified by political and legal fallout. A special prosecutor arrested a government official over alleged document forgery related to the site, prompting Serbia’s ruling party to fast-track legislation stripping protected status not only from the complex but from other historic buildings as well. Critics on the left argue the deal represents a non-transparent giveaway of public assets, while nationalists on the right object to a U.S.-linked development on a site bombed by NATO. The issue has drawn international attention, including criticism from European Parliament bodies, NATO figures, U.S. lawmakers, and prominent architects who argue the redevelopment would erase an important piece of architectural heritage.
The project also raises questions about conflicts of interest, as Kushner has re-entered a prominent geopolitical role while running Affinity Partners, a $4.8 billion private-equity firm backed largely by Middle Eastern sovereign funds. While Kushner maintains that his investments are separate from politics and that no preferential treatment is expected, the overlap between diplomacy, private capital, and a politically charged development has fueled scepticism. Despite backing from the Serbian government and partnerships with UAE-based developer Eagle Hills and the Trump Organization, the project’s future remains uncertain as legal appeals, street-level activism, and international scrutiny continue to mount.
