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Saturday, July 22, 2023

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 22/7/23



Mahuta aims more missiles – of the sanctionary variety – at Putin and his cronies

Was that wincing we heard from the Kremlin?

Probably. It would have been triggered by the news being communicated to Vladimir Putin that Nanaia Mahuta has announced a new tranche of 23 sanctions as part of New Zealand ongoing response to Russia’s illegal and unjustified assault on Ukraine.

The further sanctions target Russia’s military-industrial complex, paramilitary groups, and individuals involved in unlawfully transporting and deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. They also capture several further Belarusian financial institutions in response to the escalating support Belarus is providing in aid of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine.

The announcement was posted on the New Zealand government’s official website yesterday, after Point of Order had reported to readers on the latest goings-on in the Beehive.

The last item we recorded was also from our Minister of Foreign Affairs, who advised us that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to visit New Zealand next week for bilateral meetings and to attend the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

This was followed by …

Latest from the Beehive


Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced a new tranche of 23 sanctions as part of New Zealand ongoing response to Russia’s illegal and unjustified assault on Ukraine.

Mahuta has become practised in the art of putting the frighteners up the Russians since the Government declared early in March last year it would be having legislation passed under urgency this week, to provide further, extensive sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

She explained then that as a small country which supports the multilateral system to uphold peace and security, New Zealand had historically supported sanctions through the United Nations system.

But Russia was using its veto as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to prevent any action, despite overwhelming opposition to Russia’s war. Our government therefore had decided that a targeted sanctions bill was required “to show our condemnation in the strongest possible terms”.

Since the passing of the Russia Sanctions Act, New Zealand has adopted more than 20 rounds of sanctions on over 1,500 individuals and entities, to keep in step with international sanctions efforts.

Mahuta announced the first tranche of sanctions under the Russia Sanctions Act on March 18 last year.

At midnight that night 13 individuals and 19 entities were added to a targeted sanctions list and the coverage of the travel ban was significantly widened.

This first tranche of sanctions designated an additional 364 political and military individuals to our travel ban list, and places sanctions on Russian Leader Vladimir Putin and the 12 members of his Security Council, one bank and 18 other entities.






















* And yesterday –
Further sanctions on Russian military support and Belarusian financial sector

The new tranche of 23 sanctions target Russia’s military-industrial complex, paramilitary groups, and individuals involved in unlawfully transporting and deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. They also capture several further Belarusian financial institutions in response to the escalating support Belarus is providing in aid of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine.

Three Russian individuals covered by these sanctions were recently involved in separating children from their families by facilitating deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, Mahuta said.

“These sanctions target 14 individuals and entities of the Russian military-industrial complex. They develop, manufacture or procure weapons, electronic components and technology (such as microelectronics and semiconductors) used by Russia to wage its aggressive war against Ukraine.

“Belarus is actively supporting Russia as it continues to breach international law and fracture international peace and security – the very thing Russia is obliged to protect and maintain as a Member of the United Nations Security Council.

“The Belarusian regime has confirmed Russian controlled nuclear weapons are being stationed on its territory which borders Ukraine. New Zealand strongly opposes the proliferation and sharing of nuclear weapons and sees this move as a direct threat to Ukraine, its neighbouring allies, and a further attempt to destabilise the region.

“The six Belarusian entities being sanctioned include Belarus banks and show New Zealand’s continued condemnation of Belarus’ actions,” Nanaia Mahuta said.


More information about sanctions, travel bans, and export controls against Russia and Belarus, as well as diplomatic, military and economic support to Ukraine, can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.

Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You really can't make this shit up.