Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters announced a new support package for Ukraine worth 16 million (over 9 million New Zealand dollars) ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague this week. This was stated in a statement by the Government of New Zealand, writes UNN.
New Zealand stands in solidarity with Ukraine. Its defensive war is now in its fourth year, and our condemnation of Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion remains unwavering
It is noted that New Zealand will contribute NZ$4 million ($2.3 million) to two multinational funds providing lethal and non-lethal military aid to Ukraine: the NATO Security Assistance and Training Mission for Ukraine (NSATU) fund and the UK- and Latvia-led "Drone Coalition" for Ukraine.
Ukraine's defense has significant implications not only for the security of the Euro-Atlantic region but also for the Indo-Pacific. We must continue to work with other members of the international community to uphold the rules-based order that serves all our interests
New Zealand will also provide NZ$7 million ($4.1 million) for further humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected communities in Ukraine and NZ$1 million ($593,000) for Ukrainians displaced in neighboring countries.
The scale of need remains immense as Russia continues to bombard densely populated civilian areas of Ukraine
The new support package follows recently announced sanctions targeting Russia's "shadow fleet" and other individuals facilitating Russia's war in Ukraine.
It is crucial that the international community continues to pressure Russia to end the war and engage in efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine