Trump Tower Project Begins in Pro-Russian Georgia... Trump Brand Agreement Signed

Conflict of Interest Concerns Escalate for President Trump
Family Business "Trump Organization" Signs Brand Agreement

The family business of U.S. President Donald Trump has begun preliminary work to construct a 70-story "Trump Tower" in Georgia, a nation regarded as pro-Russian. Some critics have raised concerns, pointing out the potential for conflicts of interest.

On the 13th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Georgian developers signed an agreement with President Trump's family enterprise, the Trump Organization, this past May, allowing the use of the Trump brand. The Georgian developers plan to build a 70-story Trump Tower. It was also reported that they are expected to begin marketing the units for "Trump Tower Tbilisi" within this week.

Trump Tower, a 70-story building planned to be constructed in the capital of Georgia. Photo by Yonhap News

The Trump Organization had pledged during Trump’s first presidential term to suspend all new foreign deals in response to concerns about conflicts of interest, and indeed, effectively halted new business projects. However, during the second term, these voluntary restrictions have been lifted, allowing active overseas transactions.

Last year, President Trump reported earning $59 million (approximately 7.95 billion KRW) from foreign real estate licensing agreements. This amount represents a sharp rise from $45 million (approximately 6.06 billion KRW) in 2024, making it the highest annual figure to date.

The U.S. Democratic Party and civic organizations have pointed out that such licensing income could create conflicts between President Trump’s governmental activities and his foreign policies. In fact, WSJ reported that some developers paying the Trump Organization are also engaged in business with the U.S. government.

The fact that Georgia is regarded as a pro-Russian country has also become an issue. Since the "Georgian Dream" government came to power in 2012, the country's pro-Russian tendency has become more pronounced, and the passage of laws to suppress opposition forces has deteriorated U.S.-Georgia relations. Georgia has also put its plans to join the European Union (EU) on hold.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.