On the Tiles: From China success to European summer - could Chris Hipkins make a surprise trip to Ukraine?

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins during his Foreign Policy speech to the NZIIA at Parliament, Wellington. 07 July, 2023. NZ Herald photo by Mark Mitchell

There have been whispers that Prime Minister Chris Hipkins could be planning to visit Ukraine on his upcoming trip to Europe.

Hipkins initially ruled it out in Wellington, but then while in China simply said he didn’t have time on his schedule.

“He wouldn’t say no, but he did intimate that it’s incredibly unlikely,” noted NZ Herald deputy political editor and host of the On the Tiles podcast Thomas Coughlan.

“This suggests that there is a slim chance, but I struggle to see how they could do it because you have to catch a train from Lviv to Kyiv and I just can’t see them having time to do that.”

On Friday, after the recording of the podcast, Hipkins was far more explicit, saying he would not be visiting Ukraine on his trip as he could not squeeze it into his schedule.

It’s important to note here that a degree of caution is always necessary when it comes to any suggestion of a leader visiting a war zone.

Newstalk ZB political editor told Coughlan that when former Prime Minister John Key went to Iraq in 2015 this was all kept under wraps until the last minute.

“They had to do that under the cover of not telling anybody until it happened because of the security risks,” said Walls.

Taking that risk offered a significant PR payoff for Key, who was able to present himself as a strong and capable leader.

“When Key went off to Iraq, he got those photos of him in a bulletproof vest and sunglasses, which must have boosted his ratings by at least three points. He looked great,” said Walls.

Given we’re in an election year and the fact that foreign policy isn’t an issue likely to determine this election, this kind of press could offer a welcome boost to Hipkins.

As Coughlan explains: “I think a snap of Chippy in Kyiv is probably the most powerful foreign policy tool on the domestic front that he could have.”

Listen to the full episode of the On the Tiles here podcast for further discussion on Hipkins’ trip abroad.

On the Tiles is available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are available on Fridays.