New Zealand has dismissed its High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Phil Goff, following controversial remarks about US President Donald Trump’s grasp of history. Goff’s comments, made during a recent event in London, compared the current efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war to the 1938 Munich Agreement, which allowed Adolf Hitler to annex part of Czechoslovakia.
In his speech, Goff recalled how Winston Churchill had criticized the Munich Agreement and then questioned whether Trump truly understood history despite having restored a bust of Churchill in the Oval Office. The remarks, made in the context of Trump pausing military aid to Ukraine, were seen as a direct challenge to the US leader’s understanding of historical events.
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters called Goff’s comments “deeply disappointing” and stated they made his position “untenable.” He emphasized that Goff’s views did not reflect New Zealand’s stance, adding that diplomats must represent their government’s policies and not express personal opinions.
The decision to dismiss Goff was made by Peters without prior consultation with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, although Luxon later stated that Peters’ actions were “entirely appropriate.” Goff, a former mayor of Auckland and leader of New Zealand’s Labour Party, had been in his role as High Commissioner since January 2023.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark criticized the dismissal, arguing that Goff’s remarks had been part of a broader, legitimate international discourse comparing historical and current political situations.
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