Ukraine War Diplomacy 2025

The story so far

In February 2025 Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said New Zealand was open to sending Defence Force troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers if a peace agreement was reached, with support from both National and Labour leaders.^{18 Feb 2025} Zelensky then met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, and the clash prompted reactions from Russian politicians and concerns about the US-Europe alliance.^{2 Mar 2025} Luxon described the exchange as a "tough watch" but said he still trusted Trump and regarded the United States as a reliable partner.^{3 Mar 2025} In mid-March Luxon joined a virtual summit of about 30 leaders convened by Starmer on possible peacekeepers, though it was unclear what New Zealand had agreed to contribute.^{14, 16 Mar 2025}

Latest

Luxon called the summit an encouraging sign for peace, and did not attend a virtual Coalition of the Willing meeting held at 1am NZ time.^{18 Aug 2025}

Key moments

1. 18 Feb 2025Luxon says New Zealand is open to peacekeeping in Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached.
2. 1 Mar 2025Trump and Zelensky clash at the White House; Luxon reaffirms support for Ukraine.
3. 3 Mar 2025Luxon says he still trusts Trump despite the "tough watch" argument.
4. 16 Mar 2025Luxon joins Starmer's virtual summit of about 30 leaders on Ukraine peacekeepers.
5. 14 Aug 2025Zelensky meets Starmer in London ahead of the Alaska summit.
6. 16 Aug 2025Trump and Putin end Alaska summit with no Ukraine peace deal.
7. 18 Aug 2025Luxon calls the summit encouraging and skips the 1am Coalition of the Willing meeting.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.