American Envoy Advised Ukraine to Request Tariff Removal Instead of Missiles
In October 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, suggested to Ukrainian officials to consider requesting tariff removal instead of obtaining Tomahawk missiles. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal.
That same month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington to discuss the possibility of acquiring Tomahawk cruise missiles. The Ukrainian military aimed to use these missiles to target oil refineries and force Moscow into negotiations on more favorable terms.
However, a day before his arrival in Washington, Donald Trump had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which he decided against providing Ukraine with the missiles. Witkoff, in turn, proposed an alternative approach to Ukraine, emphasizing that a “handful of missiles” would unlikely make a significant impact on the situation. Instead, he urged Ukraine to request a 10-year tariff removal, which, according to him, could give a powerful boost to the Ukrainian economy.
In November, Bloomberg revealed transcripts of Witkoff’s conversations with a Russian official – Putin’s aide Yushakov, during which they discussed the planned conversation between Trump and Putin.
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Zelensky’s visit to Washington | October 2025 | Request for Tomahawk missiles |
| Trump’s conversation with Putin | Before Zelensky’s arrival | Missile sale refused |
| Witkoff’s proposal | October 2025 | Tariff removal |
