A new investigation published by British newspaper The Guardian on 15 October has revealed previously unreported details of Aleksandar Vučić’s involvement in plans to redevelop Belgrade’s former General Staff headquarters into a luxury hotel and residential complex associated with the Trump family.
According to the investigation, based on leaked documents and interviews with individuals familiar with the discussions, Vučić convened a meeting at the presidential offices in February 2024, during which he pressed heritage officials to remove the building’s protected cultural status.
The site, damaged during NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign, is regarded as one of Belgrade‘s most significant examples of modernist architecture.
The Guardian reports that Dubravka Đukanović, then director of Serbia’s cultural heritage protection institute, was among the officials summoned to the meeting. According to sources familiar with the discussions, Vučić demanded that the building’s protected status be revoked, despite the legal procedures required for such a decision.
The proposed development was associated with Jared Kushner, Donald Trump‘s son-in-law, whose investment company had negotiated a 99-year lease for the site without payment to the Serbian state.
A contract dated May 2024, reviewed by The Guardian, reportedly committed the Serbian government to securing the removal of the property’s cultural heritage designation.
The project, valued at approximately $500 million, was expected to include a luxury hotel and residential development carrying the Trump brand.
However, the redevelopment became the subject of criminal proceedings following allegations of irregularities in the removal of heritage protection. Serbia’s culture minister and other officials were subsequently indicted on abuse-of-office charges.
Kushner’s company announced in December 2025 that it would not proceed with the development at that time.
The Guardian’s latest findings raise additional questions about the involvement of senior Serbian officials. The newspaper reports that the February 2024 meeting involving Vučić was not mentioned in the indictment, although prosecutors acknowledged possessing evidence concerning the meeting.
Vučić has not been charged in connection with the case and has denied wrongdoing. Representatives of Kushner and the Trump Organization have rejected suggestions of any improper political arrangement or involvement in decisions concerning the site’s protected status.
Kushner’s spokesperson maintained that the project was intended to bring investment, employment and economic opportunities to Belgrade.
Beyond the legal proceedings, the controversy highlights broader questions surrounding foreign investment, the protection of architectural heritage and transparency in agreements between governments and international investors.
The investigation comes as Serbia continues to navigate the relationship between attracting major international investment and maintaining public confidence in its institutions.
