Jacinda Ardern
Associate Minister, Arts, Culture and Heritage
Minister, Child Poverty Reduction
Minister, Ministerial Services
Minister, National Security and Intelligence
Prime Minister
Kia ora and good afternoon. Today, I’m joined by the Minister of Defence, Peeni Henare, and the Chief of Defence, Air Marshal Kevin Short, to announce a significant expansion of our Defence Force deployment to support Ukraine against Russia’s ongoing brutal invasion.
But first, I’ll run through the week ahead. I have meetings here in Wellington tomorrow and on Thursday. On Wednesday, I will travel to Auckland for a number of events.
I want to acknowledge that, also on Wednesday, the Government will reach the milestone of two years of free and healthy lunches in schools. This is a Government initiative that I am extremely proud of, as it supports our families across the country and is especially important as we seek to support New Zealanders through a period of global inflationary pressure and the cost of living increases that have come with it. In the past two years, 63 million lunches have been served and they now reach 220,000 students—saving families with two children at school, for example, up to $62 a week and over $2,000 a year. The programme has also created or retained more than 2,300 jobs. It’s not a silver bullet to the tough times we’re facing, nor is any policy, but when it comes in tandem with our income increases, fuel excise cuts, half-price public transport, and the cost of living payment, it can and does make a difference.
On Friday, I travel to Tokoroa, for the Ngāti Raukawa Accord hui. And on Saturday, at the invitation of Kiingi Tūheitia, I’ll join the celebrations of the 16th Koroneihana in Ngāruawāhia —the first time celebrations will be held in person in over two years.
Today’s announcement: the international response to support Ukraine continues to increase in direct response to Russia’s ongoing aggression. We have been clear that a blatant attack on a country’s sovereignty, and the subsequent loss of innocent lives, is wrong and intolerable. Our condemnation will continue to extend beyond words and include practical support.
Since February, New Zealand has taken action to make a meaningful and effective contribution. We’ve contributed more than $40 million in assistance, sanctioned over 840 Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities, sent equipment, and, from March, we began to make deployments of New Zealand Defence Force personnel across a range of areas— including logistics, intelligence, and, most recently, in artillery training, working with our partners in the UK; a deployment that is now complete.
However, we’ve been told that among one of the highest priorities for Ukraine right now to further strengthen its self-defence of country and people is that of training its soldiers. And so today, I can announce a further significant deployment of up to 120 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to the United Kingdom until the end of November. It will be similar to the previous artillery training deployment from May, although at a much-larger scale. And this deployment will be focused on infantry training—in particular, front-line combat, including weapons handling, combat first aid, operational, law, and soldier skills. To be clear: our people will continue to play a role in training of Ukrainian forces but have not and will not engage in combat in Ukraine’s territory. This decision brings the total number of NZDF personnel deployed to support Ukraine in this war to 224, with our latest deployment comparable to that of partner nations, including Denmark at 130, and Sweden at 120.
Already, the British Army is training Ukrainian soldiers and has asked for help, a call which several countries have answered, including Canada, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands.
I’ll now hand to the Minister for further details on the mission.