Ministry Statements & Speeches:
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi, e ngā rau rangatira mā. Tēnā koutou katoa.
President Zelenskyy (ZELEN-SKI), Prime Minister Shmyhal (SHIMMA-HOWL), Excellencies and friends.
In 2021 Aotearoa New Zealand signed on to support the Crimea Platform in order to highlight our deeply-held concern at Russia’s ongoing violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity since 2014.
Russia’s actions since last year’s meeting, and particularly over the last six months, have been an absolute affront to all of us. No matter a country’s size, wealth or power, its borders are sovereign, and unilateral resort to military aggression to settle disputes directly contravenes the UN Charter.
Our presence here today demonstrates that we stand in unity with Ukraine.
The Crimea Platform provides us with an important opportunity to continue to use our collective voice to hold Russia to account for its actions.
We must stand firm in our commitment to the rules-based order, continue to call for diplomatic engagement at every opportunity, and demand the fulfilment of international human rights obligations.
Aotearoa New Zealand condemned Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and continues to condemn unequivocally Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine since February 2022.
We stand with Ukraine in complete solidarity for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
New Zealand is playing our part and we will continue to do so.
We have sanctioned more than 900 Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities, and imposed substantial trade restrictions. We plan further sanctions to reinforce our opposition to the conflict, to exert pressure on Russia, and to complement sanctions imposed by other countries. We have provided humanitarian assistance and a special visa for family members of our Ukrainian community wishing to enter Aotearoa New Zealand.
We are providing military and non-military assistance. Early in the invasion, we deployed our defence force personnel and assets to support Ukraine’s response. We sent logistics specialists and a C-130 Hercules aircraft to carry much needed equipment and supplies to key distribution centres in Europe. We have sent intelligence officers, an artillery training team to support Ukrainian troops, and last week we announced a further 120 defence force training specialists to help train Ukrainian soldiers also in the United Kingdom.
We are also making significant contributions to the international legal effort to hold Russia accountable, including by joining Ukraine’s case against Russia at the International Court of Justice, and by supporting the International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes in Ukraine.
In total New Zealand has provided more than NZD$45 million in different forms of assistance to Ukraine this year.
Although New Zealand is distant geographically, we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. We see the devastating human toll of the war and Russian occupation. We feel strongly that Ukraine’s peace and security affects all of us. And we remain committed to lend our support.
Our message for Russia is simple: the time has come to change course. Russia must act in a manner consistent with all of its international obligations, withdraw its troops, and end this war immediately.