New Zealand has dismissed its senior diplomat to the United Kingdom following comments that questioned US President Donald Trump’s historical knowledge.
High Commissioner Phil Goff was removed from his position after remarks made at a London event on Tuesday. Goff had drawn parallels between current efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and the 1938 Munich Agreement that permitted Adolf Hitler to annex part of Czechoslovakia.
During his speech, Goff referenced Winston Churchill’s criticism of the Munich Agreement, then remarked: “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?”
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters called Goff’s comments “deeply disappointing” and declared his position “untenable.” Goff’s remarks came after Trump paused military aid to Ukraine following a contentious meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In his speech, Goff contrasted Trump with Churchill, who opposed the Munich Agreement as capitulation to Nazi Germany. He quoted Churchill’s rebuke to then UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain: “You had the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, yet you will have war.”
Peters emphasized that Goff’s views did not represent the New Zealand government’s position. “When you are in that position you represent the government and the policies of the day, you’re not able to free think, you are the face of New Zealand,” Peters told local media.
“It’s not the way you behave as the front face of a country, diplomatically,” he added, stating he would have taken identical action regardless of which country was being discussed.
Goff, a veteran politician who began his high commissioner role in January 2023, previously served two terms as Auckland mayor and led the Labour Party from 2008 to 2011. His career also included ministerial positions in justice, foreign affairs, and defense.
Peters, who also serves as deputy prime minister, informed reporters he had made the decision to dismiss Goff without consulting Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. When questioned about bypassing Luxon, Peters responded: “I know he’s the prime minister, I made him the prime minister.”
The 79-year-old Peters, who previously worked with Goff in government, leads the New Zealand First party, which joined Luxon’s National Party and the Act Party in 2023 to form the current center-right coalition.
Prime Minister Luxon backed Peters’ decision, calling the unilateral dismissal “entirely appropriate.”
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark criticized Goff’s firing as having a “very thin excuse,” noting on social media: “I have been at Munich Security Conference recently where many draw parallels between Munich 1938 and US actions now.”
The 1938 Munich Agreement allowed Hitler to take control of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland but failed to prevent Nazi Germany’s expansion. World War Two began when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939.
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