Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has framed the withdrawal of a private investment fund linked to Jared Kushner from a planned redevelopment of Belgrade’s former General Staff complex as a major economic and political setback, while coupling the issue with a decision to boycott an EU–Western Balkans summit and renewed criticism of prosecutors and protesters at home.
Speaking in a televised interview in RTS, a Serbian public broadcaster, Vučić said the bomb-damaged General Staff building would remain a “grim ruin” after the investor abandoned plans to build a hotel and mixed-use complex on the site. He argued the project would have employed at least 3,500 people and included a long-promised museum for war victims, saying Serbia had lost a “very important investment” worth at least 750 million euros.
Vučić portrayed the cancellation as a direct blow to public finances, saying foreign direct investment underpins state revenues used to pay salaries and pensions. He accused opponents of favouring “ruins over development,” language that reflects a broader narrative in which the government casts major infrastructure and real estate projects as symbols of economic progress.
At the same time, Vučić announced he would not attend a scheduled EU–Western Balkans summit in Brussels, marking what he said was the first such absence by Serbia in more than a decade. No Serbian representative would attend, he added, stressing the decision was intended to shield the government from external pressure rather than signal a break with the EU.
He said he had spoken in recent days with several European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and French President Emmanuel Macron, and insisted Serbia would continue on its EU path while he remains in office. Analysts note, however, that the boycott underscores growing frustration in Belgrade over the pace and conditions of EU accession.
Domestically, Vučić also addressed protests by parents of children with disabilities, saying the government understood their demands for broader caregiver rights but warned of potential abuse and high fiscal costs. He said discussions were under way with the prime minister and finance minister to find a compromise solution.
In unusually sharp language, the president criticised Serbia’s organised crime prosecutor’s office (TOK) over an indictment proposal involving Culture Minister Nikola Selaković and three others, saying innocent people were being targeted. Vučić accused prosecutors of acting as if they were “untouchable” and lacking effective oversight, while pledging institutional changes to make them accountable—comments likely to raise concerns about political pressure on the judiciary.
On energy security, Vučić sought to reassure the public, saying Serbia’s gas and oil reserves were high enough to cover demand at least until the end of January. He also expressed cautious optimism over negotiations involving Serbia’s oil company NIS, saying talks between the Russian owner and a major international company were nearing completion, though any deal would still require approval from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Taken together, Vučić’s remarks highlight how economic development projects, EU relations, energy security and institutional disputes are increasingly intertwined in Serbia’s political discourse, as the president positions himself as the central arbiter of both foreign policy and domestic stability.