While intense international and domestic pressure has forced the German government to supply Ukraine with tanks this week, a briefing obtained by Newsroom sheds light on the New Zealand rejection of a Ukrainian request for light armoured vehicles.
The Ministry of Defence document was supplied to Newsroom under the Official Information Act – but sections that were meant to be redacted were erroneously left visible.
Defence Minister Peeni Henare previously downplayed the plea as "an initial request" for LAVs, but the sections accidentally left unredacted show it was a formal letter to the Prime Minister from Ukraine's Ambassador to New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko. The letter was received on July 8 and was referred to Henare, who didn't respond until August 4.
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In his response, Henare said New Zealand was unable to meet the request to provide surplus LAVs.
"As a small military, the New Zealand Defence Force does not have the ability to meet requests from our current stocks within the required timeframe. Available vehicles are not in an operational condition, do not have spare parts or support equipment, and we do not have available personnel to support necessary operational or maintenance training," the briefing stated.
Henare was encouraged by officials to "reinforce" this response in a meeting with Myroshnychenko on August 11.
"I will reiterate the point: there is a limited shelf life for all of these particular platforms and we know too that the LAV is a bit of an older piece of kit, and getting parts is particularly difficult."
– Peeni Henare, Defence Minister
Later that month, Henare told reporters he had seen the LAVs in use for training at Waiouru Military Camp.
"I think they’re put to good use in our regeneration planning, and certainly the ones that we have and are using with our New Zealand Defence Force are what we actually require right now," he said. "But I will reiterate the point: there is a limited shelf life for all of these particular platforms and we know too that the LAV is a bit of an older piece of kit, and getting parts is particularly difficult."
A separate Official Information Act response revealed that, at the time of the refusal, New Zealand had 74 fully operational LAVs and was trying to sell another eight surplus vehicles.
ACT Party leader David Seymour told Newsroom it was "pitiful that the memo is written as if the goal is to find reasons not to help. I don't doubt that there are challenges with sharing the LAVs, but is the Government really saying that there's absolutely no way they could have helped? Usually, where there is a will, there is a way.
"These guys in Ukraine are fighting for their lives – and in a way for everyone in the world's freedom. The idea that a competent minister wouldn't even pressure [officials] to say, 'Not good enough, how can we do it?' It shows a callous lack of caring for these people and the cause."
In a statement, Henare told Newsroom the Government had declined Ukraine’s request as the vehicles available were not in operational condition.
“In addition transporting these to Ukraine would be a timely, costly and logistically challenging task for the NZDF.”
Henare said NZDF personnel deployed in Europe were making a valuable contribution to the Ukrainian war effort, with Aotearoa’s work highly valued by its partners.
“The Government will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and will work in tandem with partners to determine how New Zealand can continue to make a meaningful contribution.”
"It is not clear whether Ukraine will be able to push Russia back to areas held since its earlier invasion in 2014, let alone beyond to the internationally accepted borders agreed in the 1990s."
– briefing to minister
The briefing also revealed more information about New Zealand's aid programme and the state of the war against Ukraine. According to the document, $7.5 million in military aid that was funnelled via the UK went to the purchase of air defence missiles.
It reported Russia had been "caught off guard" by the efficacy of the Ukrainian military but raised doubts as to the defenders' hopes of victory.
"It is not clear whether Ukraine will be able to push Russia back to areas held since its earlier invasion in 2014, let alone beyond to the internationally accepted borders agreed in the 1990s," officials reported.
“This is an unjust and unjustifiable war so we absolutely stand with Ukraine and we will continue to engage in international efforts to support the Ukrainians in their plight.”
– Chris Hipkins, Prime Minister
Pressure has continued to mount for countries to up their military aid commitments to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, media reports citing ‘government sources’ indicated Germany would finally send a number of tanks to the frontlines in Ukraine. German chancellor Olaf Scholz had for months held back on making such a commitment for fear of escalating the conflict, but faced significant domestic and international criticism for doing so. Scholz’s decision comes as the US is reportedly set to send its own US-made tanks to Ukraine, apparently as part of a joint commitment between Washington DC and Berlin to present a united front.
Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov described the American move as “another blatant provocation against the Russian Federation”, while Ukrainian official Andriy Yermak hailed the two nations’ decisions as a significant moment in the conflict.
'Red pen at random'
Speaking at his first post-Cabinet press conference as leader, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he had not been briefed on the American or German plans, but New Zealand remained fully supportive of Ukraine.
“This is an unjust and unjustifiable war so we absolutely stand with Ukraine and we will continue to engage in international efforts to support the Ukrainians in their plight.”
Seymour told Newsroom he was concerned about the accidental release of information.
"Notwithstanding their technical inability, it almost seems they've got a red pen and gone through at random but, as it turns out, it was out of ink."
– David Seymour, ACT leader
"It's one thing for the Ministry of Health to make a mistake, you would hope the defence department could at least master the use of PDF documents if they're going to be defending the country."
Some of the lines that were meant to be redacted were relatively anodyne. One sentence, which was supposed to be fully redacted, said Myroshnychenko "has been a strong voice for the need for continued support for Ukraine, and in particular military support". Another encouraged Henare to signal to the ambassador that the Government was looking into further aid and sanctions, but a parenthetical advising him to "manage expectations around what is possible" was to be censored.
"That doesn't sound like a state secret," Seymour said. "Notwithstanding their technical inability, it almost seems they've got a red pen and gone through at random but, as it turns out, it was out of ink."
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