Garčević Comments on Plans to Replace Serbia’s Historical Site with Trump Tower
Professor Vesko Garčević was quoted in a Bloomberg article, which reported on how the ruins of the Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, a historical site in Belgrade, are soon to be turned into a lavish Trump Tower by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Kushner’s venture is already facing resistance from the Serbian public who consider this site a significant piece of their history.
The property is slated to be transformed into a high-end 175-room hotel with 1,500 residences. After discussions with other companies, Kushner finally decided to license this luxurious real estate under his father-in-law’s brand.
According to Garčević, what makes this deal out of the ordinary is the site’s culturally fraught past, which has lasted for more than two decades, and local opposition. The professor worked near the Yugoslav Ministry of Defense building when it was bombed in 1999 by the US-led NATO operation.
“I cannot imagine it,” said Garčević. “You cannot convert places like that into hotels.”
The report also stated that informal civic groups have spun into action to cease the razing of the structure for Trump Tower. Additionally, thousands of petitioners have signed online appeals, demanding the protection of bombed properties.
The complete report by Bloomberg can be accessed here.
Vesko Garčević is a professor of the practice of international studies at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and the director of the Center for the Study of Europe. An expert on multilateral issues, Garčević is the co-author of Montenegro and Serbia: A Velvet Divorce? (Bloomsbury Academic) which explores the divergent past between Serbia and Montenegro between 1988 and 2023. To read more about his work and accomplishments, visit his faculty profile.