Russia’s threat to Ukraine the most significant risk to international peace since Cold War, MPs warned – Stuff.co.nz

A possible Russian invasion of Ukraine poses the biggest risk to international peace since the end of the Cold War, MPs have been warned.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Chris Seed fronted a parliamentary select committee on Thursday morning, answering questions from MPs on New Zealands response to the threat of conflict in Eastern Europe.

Russia has in recent months denied it intends to invade Ukraine, while massing more than 150,000 troops at the countrys border and conducting military exercises. The United States and United Kingdom are among countries that have warned Russia appeared poised to imminently invade, this week.

"There's no question in our mind that this is one of the most significant security challenges and risks to international peace and security, since the end of the Cold War," Seed said, at the hearing.

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Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Chris Seed briefed MPs on Thursday about New Zealand's response to the crisis in Ukraine.

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"There's an awful lot of information in the public domain ... But diplomatically I think our judgment is that the investment which so many countries are making in calling for de-escalation, the investment they're making in trying to understand the issue, the outreach they are doing to both the Ukraine and to Russia, you know, speaks volumes about their concern.

Seed said war in Europe would be of no benefit to New Zealand.

"Certainly as a small state, we cannot abide the idea that large countries assert their interest by invading small ones, or, indeed, any country invading any other.

National Party foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee asked if officials had considered the consequences of sanctions being imposed on Russia for any military action, and the impact of any response from Russia to sanctions from countries such as the US, UK, and European nations.

If Russia were to retaliate by cutting off or restricting energy supplies into Europe, what does that mean for the international economy and consequences for New Zealand?

Seed said it would mean "disruption, almost certainly it will mean for at least for a time higher oil prices, it clearly already means impacts on international share markets.

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National MP Gerry Brownlee has asked what the consequences could be for New Zealand.

Such effects would wash through our supply chains and affect New Zealands ability to trade, he said.

Brownlee questioned how New Zealand might participate in sanctioning Russia, as New Zealand does not have law allowing it to place sanctions on countries outside those agreed upon by the United Nations Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member.

Seed said that, if Russia were to invade, New Zealand could look to retaliate through official engagement, restricting people from crossing the New Zealand border, or restricting exports to the country.

He said New Zealand officials had talked to their Russian and Chinese counterparts in both Moscow and Beijing about a recent conversation between President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping.

"There was a view that the statement that they issued was extraordinarily extensive. It actually was quite silent on the issue of Ukraine. I don't think the word was mentioned, he said.

There was a continuing sense about the relationship Beijing and Moscow look to build ... The query many have is, can they put us put aside, many of the challenges to their own bilateral relationship with which, as you'll be aware, is extraordinarily fraught.

Brownlee, who has pushed the Government to pass law allowing it to place autonomous sanctions on countries, on Thursday sought to introduce a bill to this effect into the House for the Parliament to consider. His attempt was objected to, and failed.

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Russia's threat to Ukraine the most significant risk to international peace since Cold War, MPs warned - Stuff.co.nz