The fiery conversation between US president Donald Trump, his vice president and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House was a “tough watch”, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.
But Luxon, who described the incident only as a “robust exchange” over the weekend, today said he still trusted Trump and envisioned working well with the US under his leadership.
Astonished reactions have come from other world leaders after the US president and vice president JD Vance verbally berated Zelensky in an extraordinary diplomatic meltdown.
The PM was asked about the stoush in his post-Cabinet media conference this afternoon. “It was definitely a tough watch,” he said.
“The bottom line is very simple for us, nothing’s changed in our position and support for Ukraine.
The explosive verbal exchange at the White House has shocked world leaders. (Source: 1News)
“President Zelensky is doing an exceptionally good job as a wartime leader, as a leader of a small country that was invaded by a bigger country. We stand with Ukraine.”
The PM said he wanted “the US and Ukraine working through a proper peace plan”.
“We are a country of values, and we stand up for nation, sovereign states. We stand up for freedom of navigation. We stand up for the rules-based system,” he said.
“It was Russia that invaded Ukraine, and they were the aggressor, and Ukraine was the victim of that, and so we stand with them.”
He added: “What we saw was a tough conversation and an uncomfortable one.”
Luxon said that there was “no doubt” geopolitics had become more difficult when asked about whether the US continued to share the same values around a rules-based order.
“There’s no doubt about it — it’s a more difficult geopolitical environment out there in the world, as you’ve seen in events over the last few weeks,” Luxon said.
The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute engagement devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelensky. (Source: Associated Press)
“But for us, we have a strong partnership with the US. There’s lots of collaboration and there’s lots of things that we can do together.”
Luxon said he still trusted Trump and “the American system” when asked.
In his meeting, Zelensky was poised to ink a deal to give the US access to mineral riches as Trump pressured Ukraine to reach a deal to end the war with Russia.
But the Ukrainian leader was kicked out of the White House and left Washington without signing anything after being blasted for not being grateful enough for American support.
At his post-Cabinet media conference today, Luxon was also asked about Chinese naval warship visits in the Tasman Sea. He said recent passages taken by the Chinese vessels were well within international law.
Three Chinese navy ships have carried out two live firing exercises in the Tasman in recent days. (Source: 1News)
He said: “They’re acting completely within international law, and that’s important. Our issue was around the live firing rounds, which we felt good practice would have been 24 to 48 hours advance notice, and potentially not in the middle of a trans-Tasman air route.
“But they’re completely within the confines of international law — the UN Convention of the law of sea. Those are the same laws that we rely upon with the freedom of navigation that we expect when we move around the world as well.
“That’s their decision as to why they’re doing it.
“As to where they were going, we’re not informed in advance of that. But as I’ve said, no doubt a much more contested world — certainly not a benign environment.”
