Earlier this year, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump quietly requested that Ukraine accept an unspecified number of deportees from the United States who were not Ukrainian citizens, according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post.
The proposal, delivered by an American diplomat at the end of January, came despite Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, widespread infrastructure destruction, and non-functioning airports due to Russian airstrikes. Similar overtures were reportedly made to other countries during the same period.
The documents do not reveal how the Ukrainian government ultimately responded to the U.S. request. A Ukrainian diplomat reportedly told the U.S. embassy that Kyiv would respond after forming an “official position.”
Two Ukrainian officials familiar with the exchange, speaking anonymously, said the matter did not reach high-level government leadership. One official added he was unaware of any “political demands” from Washington in relation to the deportee request.
In a public statement, the U.S. State Department defended its strategy, saying that “ongoing engagement with foreign governments” is “vital to deter illegal and mass migration and to ensure the security of our borders.”
From January through May, the Trump administration worked behind the scenes to persuade foreign governments to accept third-country nationals deported from the U.S. Some countries, such as El Salvador, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama, reportedly agreed to do so—even when the deportees were not their own citizens.
According to the newspaper, the administration used a mix of incentives and pressure tactics. El Salvador’s government was offered a White House visit and millions in funding to house deportees in prison facilities. Other governments reportedly faced threats, including punitive tariffs. In Panama’s case, the U.S. allegedly hinted at reasserting control over the Panama Canal, a move laden with geopolitical implications.
The outreach to Kyiv took place just as the Trump administration was considering rolling back protections that allowed some Ukrainians to remain in the United States. One internal document quoted a Ukrainian diplomat as saying that, while Ukraine has “a good reputation for accepting its citizens deported from the U.S.,” the “current wartime conditions impose limitations.”
Former U.S. officials told The Washington Post that the outreach to Ukraine was unusual and bypassed standard diplomatic channels.
