Photo: ZN.UA
According to him, removing tariffs could boost the Ukrainian economy.
In October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington to secure long-range Tomahawk missiles for the armed forces, The Wall Street Journal notes. These missiles would have allowed Ukraine to more effectively target Russian oil facilities, putting pressure on Moscow to negotiate.
However, U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly suggested an alternative to the Ukrainian delegation: instead of requesting Tomahawks, they could ask Donald Trump for a 10-year tariff exemption. He argued that “a handful of missiles” wouldn’t make much difference, while the tariff relief could stimulate Ukraine’s economy. Witkoff also reportedly facilitated a conversation between Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin just before Zelensky’s Washington visit, after which the White House put the Tomahawk issue on hold.
“I’m in the business of deal-making. That’s why I’m here,” he told WSJ. “We keep knocking on doors and coming up with ideas.” Analysts from the Center for European Policy Analysis recently suggested that not receiving Tomahawks might even benefit Kyiv. They argued that Europe could better support Ukraine by directing $125–200 million directly to Ukrainian industry instead of paying for U.S. missiles, noting that the Ukrainian forces already have viable alternatives, including the Storm Shadow and “Flamingo” missiles.
