Auckland, New Zealand. File photoMOSCOW, Feb 12New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is calling on New Zealand's citizens to leave Ukraine «immediately», the Foreign Ministry said in a communiqué.
"Due to rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the government New Zealand recommends that New Zealanders in Ukraine immediately leave the country while there are commercial flights that can take them home", said New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaya Mahuta in a communiqué published on the ministry's website.
It is noted that The ability of the New Zealand government to provide consular assistance to citizens of the country in Ukraine is very limited due to the lack of a New Zealand diplomatic mission there. Kiev and Western states have recently expressed concern about the alleged increase in «aggressive actions» by Russia near the borders of Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied such accusations, saying that it does not threaten anyone and is not going to attack anyone, and statements about «Russian aggression» are used as an excuse to deploy more NATO military equipment near Russian borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry previously noted that statements The West about «Russian aggression» and the possibility of helping Kiev defend itself against it is both ridiculous and dangerous. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is moving troops within its territory and at its own discretion. According to him, this does not threaten anyone and should not bother anyone.