New Zealand's top envoy to Britain fired after questioning Trump's grasp of history
March 6 (UPI) -- New Zealand dismissed its high commissioner to Britain on Thursday after he likened a U.S.-led initiative to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the appeasement of Nazi Germany in the 1930s and questioned U.S. President Donald Trump's knowledge of history.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters called Phil Goff's comments during a live streamed event in London on Tuesday "deeply regrettable" and said they had made the position of the veteran diplomat and government minister "untenable," leaving him with no choice but to recall him from the United Kingdom.
"When you're in that position, you represent the government and the policies of the day -- you're not able to free-think; you are the face of New Zealand," he said.
However, Peters insisted he would have made the same call regardless of the leader whose competence was being called into question by an official representative of the New Zealand government.
Goff was expounding on how Winston Churchill stood as a lone voice against the 1938 Munich Agreement handing part of then-Czechoslovakia to Hitler when he referenced Trump, noting he had "restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office."
"But do you think he really understands history?" Goff asked host Finnish foreign minister Elina Valtonen at the event titled "Keeping the Peace on NATO's longest border with Russia" at Chatham House, a British think-tank.
Goff made the comment after telling the audience how Churchill, who went on to lead Britain after war engulfed Europe just as he had predicted, in a speech to Parliament slammed then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for preferring "dishonor over war" by accepting Hilter's pledges of peace and taking part in negotiations from which Czechoslovakia was excluded.
"You had the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, yet you will have war," Goff quoted Churchill as saying.
The United States is New Zealand's second-largest market after China for exports of its world-renowned agricultural produce, shipping $9 billion worth of goods, 12% of all exports, in 2024, New Zealand government figures show and Goff's recall comes amid efforts by New Zealand to avoid doing anything to upset the apple cart.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark defended Goff, querying whether the question Goff had posed was grounds for dismissal of a "highly respected former [New Zealand] foreign minister," and calling it a "new low bar" for the ruling New Zealand Party government of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
"One assumes NZ Govt is super sensitive to Trump Administration. Prima facie the question is not a sackable offense," Clark wrote on her account on X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Canada to hit NATO spending target this year as it shifts defense focus toward EU
Canada will reach NATO's defense spending target of 2% of GDP this year, five years ahead of schedule, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on June 9. Speaking at the University of Toronto, Carney said the move is part of a strategic pivot away from reliance on the U.S. and toward deeper cooperation with the European Union, citing growing security threats from Russia, China, and other adversaries. Carney said Canada's current military capabilities are inadequate, noting that only one of four submarines is operational and much of the maritime and land fleet is outdated. To reverse this trend, his government is launching a $6.8 (9.3 billion Canadian dollars) boost to the defense budget for 2025-26. The investment will be tabled in Parliament through supplementary estimates and directed toward rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces, upgrading equipment, and expanding domestic production capabilities. The new defense posture includes reassessing major procurement decisions, such as the planned purchase of U.S.-made F-35 jets, and prioritizing partnerships with European firms for equipment acquisitions. Carney emphasized that three-quarters of Canada's defense capital spending has gone to the U.S., a pattern he said must end. "We're doing this for us," Carney was quoted as saying. "Relatedly we're doing it as a strong NATO partner, we're a firm believer in NATO, and we're standing shoulder to shoulder with our NATO allies, we'll continue to do so. ." Carney's announcement comes just ahead of the NATO leaders' summit in late June, where member states are expected to commit to higher defense spending thresholds of up to 5%. The prime minister said Canada would support a new NATO defense industrial pledge and participate in the EU's ReArm Europe initiative. He added that future cooperation with the EU will be a major theme of the upcoming Canada-EU summit. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine shoots down nearly 500 drones, missiles in Russian record strike, Air Force says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russia has plans to test NATO's resolve, German intelligence chief warns
By Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) -Russia is determined to test the resolve of the NATO alliance, including by extending its confrontation with the West beyond the borders of Ukraine, the Germany's foreign intelligence chief told the Table Media news organization. Bruno Kahl, head of the Federal Intelligence Service, said his agency had clear intelligence indications that Russian officials believed the collective defence obligations enshrined in the NATO treaty no longer had practical force. "We are quite certain, and we have intelligence showing it, that Ukraine is only a step on the journey westward," Kahl told Table Media in a podcast interview. "That doesn't mean we expect tank armies to roll westwards," he added. "But we see that NATO's collective defence promise is to be tested." Germany, already the second-largest provider of armaments and financial support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, has pledged to step up its support further under the new government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, promising to help Ukraine develop new missiles that could strike deep into Russian territory. Without detailing the nature of his intelligence sources, Kahl said Russian officials were envisaging confrontations that fell short of a full military engagement that would test whether the U.S. would really live up to its mutual aid obligations under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. "They don't need to dispatch armies of tanks for that," he said. "It's enough to send little green men to Estonia to protect supposedly oppressed Russian minorities." Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea involved occupation of buildings and offices by Russian soldiers in unmarked uniforms and civilian clothes, who came to be known as the "little green men" when Moscow initially denied their identity. Kahl did not specify which officials in Moscow were thinking along these lines. Merz, who visited Donald Trump in Washington last week, pushed back against the U.S. president's assertion that Ukraine and Russia were like two infants fighting, telling Trump that where Ukraine targeted Moscow's military, Russia bombed Ukraine's cities. Kahl said his contacts with U.S. counterparts had left him convinced they took the Russian threat seriously. "They take it as seriously as us, thank God," he said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
BREAKING: Former EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland Sounds Alarm on China, Fentanyl and Putin in New Episode of We're Out of Time Podcast, Tuesday, June 10
Sondland Calls China 'Complicit' In The Fentanyl Crisis, Says President Trump's EU Tariff Threat 'Shut Them Down,' And Predicts Putin Will Gain Land, Unless The U.S. Floods Ukraine With Americans LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As We're Out of Time climbs the charts, reaching #3 in Apple Podcasts' Mental Health category and #6 in Health & Fitness, host Richard Taite, a nationally recognized addiction recovery expert and founder and executive chairman of Carrara Treatment and executive chairman of 1 Method, welcomes former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. In a headline-making debut, Sondland delivers sharp, behind-the-scenes insight on global flashpoints—from China's role in the fentanyl crisis to Trump's proposed 50% EU tariff to the future of the Russia-Ukraine war. "Having Gordon on the show is a game-changer," said Richard Taite. "This episode gives Americans a rare window into how global decisions are shaping our addiction crisis here at home and what we need to do about it." Known for his raw and unflinching conversations with celebrities, musicians, recovering addicts, and rehabilitation experts, Taite doesn't shy away from hard truths, especially when it comes to fentanyl. He calls Donald Trump "The Fentanyl President" for making the crisis a top priority, and says China's role in supplying precursor chemicals must remain in the spotlight. Headline-making moments from the episode include: 'China Is Complicit': Former EU Ambassador Sondland Says Fentanyl Crisis Is StrategicFormer U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland says China isn't just looking the other way on fentanyl—"they're complicit." He adds, "I think they're assisting in the effort, not just saying go ahead… You get people hooked or killed on that substance… they don't have to shoot a bullet at an enemy. They let the enemy kill themselves with that drug." Host Richard Taite, calls it a national security issue, based on years of treating veterans unknowingly exposed to fentanyl. "I call him [Trump] the fentanyl president…he's moved fentanyl to the top of the list when he talks about China." Sondland agrees, "At the top of the list whenever he brings up our trade issues with China is fentanyl. He talks about it all the time. They're the number one producer of the precursors…I think he's bringing it out to the top of the agenda." Ex-Ambassador Sondland Warns: Trump's July 9 Tariff Deadline Is Real; 'Essentially Shuts Them Down'Gordon Sondland, former U.S. Ambassador to the EU, breaks down Trump's hardline trade strategy with Europe. "Every president for 40 years has asked the Europeans to drop some of these trade barriers…and they've just tapped the U.S. along and nothing happens. So, for the first time, Trump said 'okay fine, while you're thinking about it, it's a 50% tariff,' which essentially shuts them down. And all of a sudden, within hours…the phone rings — 'okay, okay, okay, we want to talk.'" Sondland says the July 9 deadline is real. "Trump and his team will figure out how to impose them if the Europeans do not relent on some of their protectionist policies. I really believe that." President Trump Insider Predicts Putin Will Take Land, But Says U.S. Needs to 'Flood Ukraine with Americans'Ex-Ambassador Gordon Sondland offers rare insight into President Trump's private diplomacy with Vladimir Putin and predicts how the war in Ukraine could end. "He praises them in public. In private he says things like, I'm paraphrasing, 'Vladimir, you're unbelievable, you live in beautiful palaces, you're worth hundreds of billions…I love it, and I love you. But just remember, if you hit Ukraine, I gotta bomb the sh*t outta you…I probably have to kill you.'" Sondland says the war escalated under Biden's inconsistent strategy and argues even moderate U.S. support could have changed the outcome. Host Richard Taite asks, "So how does this end?" Sondland replies, "Putin sadly is going to wind up with some Ukrainian real estate. But the deal has to be—we flood Ukraine with Americans. Not troops. Business people. Infrastructure builders. Miners. Bankers. And the message becomes: Next time you try it, you're hitting us, not just Ukrainians." Full Episode Drops Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 10 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube under We're Out of Time. About We're Out of Time:Hosted by Richard Taite, a nationally recognized addiction recovery expert, entrepreneur, and founder of Carrara Treatment and executive chairman of 1 Method—We're Out of Time blends personal stories, policy insight, and cultural commentary to confront America's addiction crisis head-on. The show has reached millions and now ranks in the top 10 in two major Apple Podcast categories. Past guests include former NBA star Lamar Odom, actor and comedian Jay Mohr, HGTV's Izzy Battres, rapper Famous Dex, and award-winning journalist Kelly Wright. For National Fentanyl Awareness Day, the show featured Los Angeles D.A. Nathan Hochman and Matt Capelouto, the father behind Alexandra's Law, now part of California's Proposition 36. The podcast also regularly features a powerful mix of celebrities, comedians, musicians, influencers, recovery experts, and formerly homeless changemakers. Media Inquiries:Lisa SpallaArlene Howard Public Podcast Info:We're Out of Time with Richard TaiteAvailable on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major on YouTube: @RichardTaiteOfficialMore info: Social Media:TikTok: @RichardTaiteOfficialInstagram: @RichardTaiteOfficialFacebook: @RichardTaiteOfficial View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE We're Out of Time Podcast Sign in to access your portfolio
