New Zealand unveils measures against Russia for Ukraine intervention

Urging Moscow “to do what is right and immediately cease military operations,” New Zealand on Friday announced a range of measures against Russia for its military intervention in Ukraine.

“These are: the introduction of targeted travel bans against Russian government officials and other individuals associated with the invasion of Ukraine -- this is in line with a number of our partners,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.

“These measures will ban targeted individuals from obtaining visas to enter or transit New Zealand,” she said.

New Zealand will also prohibit the export of goods to Russian military and security forces, and suspend bilateral Foreign Ministry consultations until further notice, she added.

“The UK’s Defense Ministry communicated this morning that more than 80 strikes have been carried out against Ukrainian targets and that Russian ground forces are advancing across the border on at least three axes, from north and northeast, and south from Crimea,” Ardern said.

“By choosing to pursue this entirely avoidable path, an unthinkable number of innocent lives could be lost because of Russia’s decision. New Zealand calls on Russia to do what is right and immediately cease military operations in Ukraine and permanently withdraw to avoid a catastrophic and pointless loss of innocent life.”

Ardern warned that Russia’s actions pose “a significant threat to peace and security in the region and will trigger a humanitarian and refugee crisis.”

Russia launched its long-feared military intervention in Ukraine early Thursday, with President Vladimir Putin saying the operation’s aim is to protect people “subjected to genocide” by Kyiv and to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine. He also called on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, more than 130 people, including civilians, were killed on the first day of the military intervention.