Trump weighs 200% US tariffs on Ukraine and Russia despite doubts over their leverage
Donald Trump said the US could immediately impose 200% tariffs on Ukraine and Russia to force both sides toward a peace agreement, while acknowledging that the measure may lack practical effect because US imports from the two countries are limited. The remarks came as US envoy Steve Witkoff met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo and then held talks with Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg.
Key points
- Trump raised the possibility of immediate 200% US tariffs on Ukraine and Russia on 23 October at a campaign rally in Florida
- Trump said the tariffs could force both countries to conclude a peace agreement but questioned their effectiveness because US imports from Ukraine and Russia are small
- Trump claimed 200% tariff threats had helped end five wars or armed conflicts
- Zelensky met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo on 20 October, with Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland's president Alexander Stubb participating
- Witkoff held talks with Vladimir Putin at the Konstantin Palace in Saint Petersburg on 21 October; Kremlin special representative Kirill Dmitriev also took part
- Zelensky said Kyiv was ready for a peace agreement freezing hostilities along the current front line
- Witkoff said he brought Putin documents containing approaches to ending the war in Ukraine
Why it matters
The proposal would add a new trade-pressure mechanism to efforts to end the war. Trump suggested that exceptionally high tariffs could compel Ukraine and Russia to sign a peace agreement, but also conceded that limited US imports from both countries reduce the measure's practical leverage. His remarks came amid parallel US contacts with Ukrainian and Russian leaders.
What happened
During a campaign rally in Florida on 23 October, Trump said the US might immediately impose 200% tariffs on Ukraine and Russia to force the two countries to reach a peace agreement. He said he had never previously considered using such tariffs against the two countries and acknowledged that the approach might fail because the US purchases too few goods from them. He also said tariff threats had helped end five wars or armed conflicts and could perhaps force Kyiv and Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
The proposal came amid intensive diplomatic activity. Zelensky met Witkoff in Oslo on 20 October, alongside Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finland's president Alexander Stubb. On 21 October, Witkoff met Putin at the Konstantin Palace in Saint Petersburg, with Kirill Dmitriev representing the Kremlin. Witkoff said he brought Putin documents describing approaches to ending the war. Zelensky said on 21 October that Kyiv was ready for a peace agreement involving a freeze of hostilities along the current front line. Trump said separately that Russia and Ukraine could be closer to ending the war than at any previous time.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage centers the proposed 200% tariffs, Trump's belief that they could force a peace agreement, and his own doubts about their effectiveness given limited US imports from Ukraine and Russia. The reports place the proposal alongside Zelensky's meeting with Witkoff in Oslo, Witkoff's subsequent talks with Putin in Saint Petersburg, and Kyiv's stated readiness to accept a freeze along the current front line.
How international sources describe it
International coverage presents the tariff proposal as part of Trump's broader assertion that trade threats helped end five conflicts. Reporting also gives weight to a contested precedent: Trump said his 200% tariff threats helped bring about the India-Pakistan ceasefire, while India rejected Washington's involvement.
Where reporting differs
Trump credited threats of 200% tariffs with helping end the India-Pakistan ceasefire. India denied that Washington played any role and said the agreement was reached directly by the military leaders of the two countries.
Background
Trump had previously said tariff threats helped him end five wars or armed conflicts and described trade restrictions as an effective tool for ending wars. In a separate dispute, he claimed 200% tariff threats had brought about the India-Pakistan ceasefire, a claim India rejected. Zelensky's readiness for a front-line freeze was stated alongside Witkoff's diplomatic meetings in Oslo and Saint Petersburg.