New Zealand ‘firmly rejects’ Russian envoy’s claims of Kiwi ‘cancel culture’
Wednesday, 10 June 2026
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has firmly rejected comments from Russia’s ambassador-designate that New Zealand’s response to the war in Ukraine was shaped by Western “propaganda”.
Stanislav Krans, Russia’s ambassador-designate to New Zealand, told The Post that describing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal was “propaganda” and argued New Zealanders were under the influence of Western media narratives.
But an MFAT spokesperson said New Zealand’s position was independently determined and based on international law.
“We firmly reject the comments made by the Russian Ambassador regarding New Zealand’s response to the war in Ukraine,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
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“New Zealand’s actions reflect our commitment to international law and the rules-based international system.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a clear breach of the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Krans has been seeking to rebuild people-to-people ties between Russia and New Zealand, saying relations between Wellington and Moscow had reached a “historical low”.
In an interview with The Post, he rejected New Zealand’s framing of the Ukraine war, defended Russia’s travel bans on New Zealanders, and accused New Zealand of taking part in “cancel culture” against Russian culture and language.
He also argued New Zealand’s view of Russia had been shaped by its historical ties to Britain and by Western media coverage of Ukraine.
In an unpublished opinion piece provided to The Post, Krans wrote that New Zealanders were “not well informed about what Russia and the Russians really are” and that centuries of UK-Russia relations had left an imprint on New Zealand’s mindset, “forcing her to follow the British narrative, not her own”.
Asked whether he was accusing New Zealanders of following Britain’s narrative despite New Zealand having its own independent foreign policy, Krans said public opinion was under pressure from foreign narratives.
“You have a common language with the United Kingdom, and also with the United States,” he said.
“They share labels in articles. You see the same wording every day, almost every hour, and it becomes your understanding of the truth.”
Asked directly whether he considered the phrase “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal” to be propaganda, Krans replied: “Correct.”
He said words such as “illegal”, “wide-scale” and “unprovoked” were “labels” placed on Russia’s actions.
“For us, nothing is illegal at this moment. You can count the facts from February 24, 2022, but there is a long history before that,” he said.
Read the full Q&A here with Krans.
The Post approached Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for a response and was referred to MFAT which rejected Krans’ suggestion New Zealand’s position was dictated by others.
“Our foreign policy is independently determined,” the spokesperson said.
“While we work closely with partners, New Zealand’s position reflects our own values and interests.”
New Zealand has repeatedly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and imposed 34 rounds of sanctions under the Russia Sanctions Act 2022.
Meanwhile Russia has banned more than 200 New Zealanders from entering the country, including government ministers, military commanders, regional mayors, media executives and journalists.
The MFAT spokesperson said New Zealand believed conflicts should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
“Russia should agree to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine as a vital first step towards ending the war.”