Why are Serbs angry at the Trump family because of NATO's strikes in 1999?

Belgrade: A destroyed building in Belgrade, which became a national symbol of NATO's airstrikes on Serbia in 1999, may soon be transformed into a luxury hotel funded by Donald Trump's son-in-law, sparking anger among local residents.

Jared Kushner

Jared Kushner, who also served as his father-in-law's advisor during his presidency, confirmed in mid-March his intentions to invest in luxury real estate in Serbia, including the old headquarters building of the Yugoslav army.

Serbian opposition deputy Aleksandar Jovanović Čuta and an investigation by the New York Times revealed that the Serbian government was planning to transfer a building and the surrounding area to a company owned by Kushner. A leak of the plans indicated that the building would be replaced by three large glass towers located just a few meters from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the New York Times, a 99-year lease was granted to the Kushner company for free. The sale of the building is a sensitive issue for Serbs, as it has become a symbol of the airstrike campaign that ended the war in Kosovo.

“Leaving it like this for another 200 years is really not a solution,” said retired journalist Srđa Nikolić. “But I am against the idea of giving it to someone—especially to those who initiated what has happened.”

The bombing began on March 24, 1999, without the approval of the UN Security Council. Its goal was to put an end to the bloody repression by Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević against Albanian separatists in Kosovo. By June of the same year, it concluded with the withdrawal of Serbian troops from Kosovo, bringing an end to the conflict that claimed the lives of over 13,000 people.

The destroyed building "is evidence of the destruction of international law," said Nikolic, "which was obliterated in 1999 when the Charter of the United Nations was violated by bombardment."

“Even in ruins, the building 'represents our struggle, the difficult period we went through, and from which we emerged victorious,' said 28-year-old local dental technician Sanja Handjic.

The building that was the headquarters of the old Yugoslav army was recognized as a "cultural site" by the Serbian government in 2005.

Local resident Yasmiqa Avramovich, 66, remembers the day the building was destroyed by a bomb. "I was born in the Senyak area, not far from here. When they were bombing here, I came to Sarajevska Street to pick up shards of glass. I still have some glass shards as a souvenir. It was a disaster.

Memories of NATO bombings are everywhere in Serbia, and a quarter of a century later, discontent with the alliance among locals remains strong. The official death toll from the 11 weeks of bombing has never been confirmed. Figures range from 500 dead, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch, to 2,500 according to Serbian officials.

“Memories of the 90s are unpleasant,” says 83-year-old Zoran Stosic, “but we must leave these buildings as they are because they remind us of those unpleasant times. We need to remember not only the beautiful things.” In his opinion, instead of a luxury hotel, this should be a place of remembrance. “We must preserve these buildings, take care of them, and turn them into a museum. To remind us of the importance of peace, that such things should never happen again.”