‘Silence has been deafening’: Phil Goff takes aim at Winston Peters after Trump’s ‘disgraceful’ NATO comments
Sunday, 25 January 2026
Never shy in calling out Donald Trump, former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Phil Goff has again taken aim at the American leader and accused the foreign minister of being “typically silent when Trump has lied outrageously”.
Earlier this week, Trump downplayed the involvement of NATO countries in the war in Afghanistan. His claims that troops stayed away from the front line caused widespread outrage. Several world leaders have come out and slammed the comments.
“The silence from our Foreign Minister at Trump’s disparaging of other nations’ efforts in the war in Afghanistan has been deafening,” Goff said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“Trump’s claim that others hung back from the front line in the war against Al Qaeda is deeply insulting to the sacrifices others, including New Zealand, made.
“Ten New Zealanders died in the war,” Goff said. “I attended the funerals of several of them, including my nephew Matt, and saw the grief and pain of their loved ones.
“Willie Apiata was behind the front line when he won his VC, deep in enemy territory.”
Goff claimed Trump had dodged the military draft five times and was belittling the efforts of those who came to the assistance of the United States following 9/11.
He labelled the president’s comments “disgraceful”.
Goff said Keir Starmer and other leaders had spoken out.
“Peters who claims to lead the patriotic party in New Zealand has been typically silent as he has whenever Trump has lied outrageously. No comment has come from any Government leader,” Goff said.
“Time for them to take a leaf out of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s book and learn that flattering and sucking up to Trump, like all bullies, just encourages him to continue the damage he is doing.”
The American president has since walked back his comments on NATO.
In a statement posted on Truth Social Trump said that British soldiers were “among the greatest of all warriors” and were “GREAT and very BRAVE”.
Peters’ office has been approached for comment.
He and Goff have history.
In March of last year, Peters sacked Goff from his High Commissioner role, saying Goff had made “seriously regrettable” comments about Trump and that his position had become untenable.
Goff’s fast dismissal came after he questioned whether Trump had a good grasp of history, and drew a parallel between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the surrender of part of Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany.
RSA says New Zealand, alongside NATO, played its part on the front line
Meanwhile, the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association “strongly rejects” the suggestion that NATO stood back from the front line in Afghanistan.
New Zealand troops had consistently played its part in multinational operations supporting NATO, including on the front line, the RSA said.
“The RNZRSA supports New Zealand’s enduring commitment to working alongside international partners in rules-based solutions to global security challenges. That commitment has come at a cost, borne by those who served and continue to serve.
“We acknowledge President Trump’s subsequent recognition that his comments were out of line. However, we remain concerned about the impact such remarks may have had on current and former service men and women,” the RSA said.