New Zealand: We Would Expel Russian Spies, but we Can’t Find Any

Following the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats around the world, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, says “there are no individuals in New Zealand who fit profile [of a spy]”

PM Ardern, together with Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, had said that they would join the US and Europe in supporting the United Kingdom by expelling Russian spies, but they cannot find any.

In response to the nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on March 4 in Sailsbury, UK, more than 100 Russian diplomats alleged to be spies in Western countries have been ordered to return to Moscow.

The New Zealand government has condemned the actions of Russia but has said that there are no “Russian intelligence agents” in the country.

“While other countries have announced they are expelling undeclared Russian intelligence agents, officials have advised there are no individuals here in New Zealand who fit this profile. If there were, we would already have taken action,” said Ardern.

“We remain steadfast with our international partners in our shared concern about the Salisbury nerve agent attack,” she added.

Peters said that New Zealand still condemns the actions of Russia.

“As part of our ongoing support for the United Kingdom, along with the international community, we will keep possible future actions under review and remain in close contact with our international partners,” he said.

Minister Peters added that the foreign affairs ministry “called in the Russian Ambassador in Wellington to reiterate our serious concern about the likely Russian source of the nerve agent used in Salisbury, and delivered the same message in Moscow.”

By Tom Day

Image source: REUTERS/Charlotte Greenfield

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