New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a new aid package for Ukraine totaling 16 million New Zealand dollars ($9.8 million), Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko said.
The announcement came during the NATO summit in Washington, where Luxon outlined the allocation of funds. The aid package is divided into two main components: NZD 6 million ($3.68 million) for military assistance and NZD 10 million ($6.12 million) for humanitarian aid.
“New Zealand understands that although we are far from Ukraine, what is happening there affects all of us, and we are ready to support Ukraine for a long time,” Luxon said.
According to Myroshnychenko, the military assistance includes $2.45 million for the “Drone Coalition” led by the United Kingdom and Latvia and $1.23 million for Ukraine’s military medical needs.
This latest contribution brings New Zealand’s total aid to Ukraine to approximately NZD 130 million ($79.5 million) since the Russian invasion started.
Luxon also said that New Zealand plans to announce new sanctions against Russian individuals and entities in the coming days, demonstrating the country’s commitment to supporting Ukraine.
The aid announcement follows a December 2023 phone conversation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then-newly elected Prime Minister Luxon, during which they discussed Ukraine’s defense needs and humanitarian demining efforts.
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