New Zealand has sacked its ambassador to the United Kingdom, Phil Goff, after he publicly questioned former US President Donald Trump’s understanding of World War II events.
Goff’s remarks, made during a panel discussion in London, led to his position being deemed “untenable” by New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, who announced the decision on Thursday.
Goff made his comments at a Chatham House event on Wednesday, where he compared Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine with the 1938 Munich Agreement, which permitted Nazi Germany’s annexation of parts of Czechoslovakia.
He referenced Winston Churchill’s famous speech in the House of Commons, delivered after the Munich Agreement, where Churchill condemned the decision by then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, saying, “You had the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, yet you will have war.”
Goff then questioned whether Trump truly understood the historical significance of this moment, noting that the former US President had restored a bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. Goff’s remarks raised concerns about the president’s grasp of historical context, particularly in relation to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The comments quickly drew criticism from the New Zealand government. Winston Peters, the country’s Foreign Minister, stated that Goff’s remarks were “deeply disappointing” and that his position had become “untenable.” “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 said. He emphasised that diplomats must align their views with the official stance of their government, and Goff’s personal interpretation had violated that principle.
Goff, who had served as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the UK since January 2023, had a long career in public service. He was previously the mayor of Auckland and held several ministerial roles, including in foreign affairs and defence. Despite his extensive experience, Goff’s tenure as a diplomat was cut short by his controversial remarks.
The situation has sparked a wider debate on the limits of diplomatic freedom and the expectations placed on those in official government roles.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark criticised the rationale for Goff’s dismissal, calling it a “very thin excuse.” She pointed out that at the recent Munich Security Conference, many had drawn similar parallels between the Munich Agreement of 1938 and the current situation in Ukraine, a perspective not limited to Goff.
“I have heard many people draw similar parallels when I attended last month’s Munich Security Conference in Germany,” Clark said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). She expressed disappointment that Goff had been sacked for making comments that, in her view, were widely discussed in international diplomatic circles.
Goff did not immediately respond to requests for comment on his dismissal.
