Venu Menon
Wellington, July 17,2024
New Zealand has ramped up its sanctions regime against Russia as part of its ongoing response to what it terms “Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
The latest round of sanctions targets “Russians involved in that country’s military-industrial complex, and those providing military assistance to Russia,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.
They cover all those involved in the supply of Iranian drones and North Korean weapons to Russia that are used in Ukraine.
The new sanctions have zeroed in on seven individuals and 12 entities for providing military aid to Russia.
This comes on top of the 1,700 individuals and entities already facing sanctions since the Russia Sanctions Act came into force in March 2022.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon used his attendance at the recently concluded NATO summit in Washington to underscore New Zealand’s status as a stakeholder in the Western defence alliance and its efforts to isolate Russia.
Despite being a presence geographically remote from Europe, or perhaps because of that, New Zealand is keen to align with the actions of the international community in showing solidarity with Ukraine.
While Wellington has put in place sanctions on individuals and entities in response to the Russian military push in Ukraine, it has also made substantial contributions in support of Ukraine.
New Zealand Defence Force personnel have been training Ukrainian troops in the United Kingdom, a move also accompanied by the funding and supply of equipment to Ukraine.
New Zealand has contributed $14 million towards arms procurement for Ukraine, and a further $10.59 million to the NATO Trust Fund which provides fuel, first aid kits, communications supplies, and military rations to Ukraine. The list of New Zealand’s contributions in support of Ukraine does not end there.
From the outset of the war, New Zealand has repeatedly called on Russia to abide by international law and withdraw its troops from Ukraine. It has moved in concert with other nations to sponsor a UN Security Council Resolution against Russia on 25 February 2022 (which was vetoed by Russia).
Again, Wellington co-sponsored a successful UN General Assembly Resolution on 2 March 2022 condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, which was followed by another UN Resolution on 24 February 2023 calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Wellington has also backed moves against Russia at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
New Zealand’s alignment with NATO runs parallel to its interests as a member of the post-Cold War, Western intelligence alliance known as Five Eyes. Other members include the US, the UK, Canada and Australia.
Each member of Five Eyes is responsible for intelligence gathering and analysis over a specific region of the world, according to defence analysts. New Zealand monitors the South Pacific and Southeast Asia.
However, intelligence sharing cuts across regions with members freely cooperating with each other.
It is worth noting that both NATO and the Five Eyes have Russia at the centre of their concerns.
New Zealand’s relations with Russia have been strained since its annexation of Crimea in 2014, though formal diplomatic ties continue.
Venu Menon is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Wellington
