Russia-Ukraine war: Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushes for more sanctions in call with Christopher Luxon

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Indo Pacific 4 meeting during the Nato Summit in Washington DC. Photo / Claire Trevett

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon discussed placing further sanctions on Russia in a recent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy revealed the talks had taken place in a post to the social media site X, formerly Twitter.

“We value New Zealand’s role in the global sanctions effort. Today, Prime Minister Luxon and I discussed the need to apply new sanctions against Russia for prolonging the war and trying to distort the diplomatic efforts of the partners,” Zelenskyy said.

“I’m grateful for his kind words about Ukraine and the Ukrainian people – and especially for the support New Zealand has provided to our country during this war. New Zealand stands firmly on the side of life – providing assistance to help us defend our people and our state and supporting Ukraine both politically and economically,” he said.

Zelenskyy said he told Luxon about recent Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy structure.

“We also discussed relations with key states in order to establish a dignified peace. In addition, we talked about joint efforts, particularly with European partners, to ensure reliable security for Ukraine in the future,” Zelenskyy said.

The Prime Minister’s office was approached for comment.

This year has been a challenging one for Zelenskyy, which is perhaps reflected in the statement.

He was given a dressing-down by the new US President Donald Trump, and Trump’s Vice President JD Vance.

At the time, Luxon responded to that exchange, saying: “New Zealand remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine.”

The US suspended military aid to Ukraine in March and later restored it. The two countries continue to negotiate a minerals deal, which will give the US rights to Ukrainian mineral resources in return for aid provided to the Ukrainians during the war.

The US and Russia continue to try to negotiate a ceasefire.

Trump told NBC News he was “very angry” and “pissed off” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after weeks negotiations.

Trump criticised Putin for attacking Zelensky’s credibility. He also threatened to impose a 50% tariff on countries buying Russian oil if he did not agree to a ceasefire.

Thomas Coughlan is deputy political editor and covers politics from Parliament. He has worked for the Herald since 2021 and has worked in the press gallery since 2018.