New Zealand has dismissed its ambassador to the United Kingdom, Phil Goff, after he drew parallels between U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to ending the Ukraine war and the appeasement policies of Nazi Germany. Goff’s remarks were made during a panel discussion in London and were seen as not representing the New Zealand government’s views. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that they are currently discussing Goff’s return to New Zealand and did not provide further details. Goff’s comments at the Chatham House event referred to the 1938 Munich Agreement, which allowed Nazi Germany to annex parts of Czechoslovakia. He questioned whether Trump truly understands historical events when making foreign policy decisions. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark defends Goff, arguing that similar historical parallels have been drawn by others at international security conferences. Goff previously served as a minister, including in foreign affairs, and as the mayor of Auckland before his recent appointment as the top diplomat to the UK.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/6/new-zealand-sacks-diplomat-who-questioned-trumps-understanding-of-wwii?traffic_source=rss