New Zealand's objection to Russia's aggressive actions over Ukraine is not weakened by the inability to impose its own economic sanctions, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta says.
Ukraine is to impose a state of emergency throughout the country and has urged its citizens to leave Russia, while Moscow has began evacuating its Kiev embassy in the latest ominous signs for those who fear a Russian military onslaught.
Shelling has intensified in eastern Ukraine and diplomatic avenues out of the crisis seem to be closing down.
Ukraine has also appealed to the UN General Assembly to stop Russia's "aggressive plans," as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the 193-member body that an expanded conflict "could see a scale and severity of need unseen for many years".
Yesterday Russia's ambassador to New Zealand was called in to hear Aotearoa's strong opposition to its actions in recent days around Ukraine.
Mahuta said calling in the ambassador was a significant step in expressing New Zealand's concern.
She told Morning Report New Zealand had the power to introduce travel bans and some export controls, but not economic sanctions on Russia.
However, she did not believe an inability to impose economic sanctions weakened Aotearoa's position.
"Actually for Russia, the fact that New Zealand stands alongside the European Union, alongside the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and others around the way in which they are behaving, that sends a strong message that there is a united front from the international community."
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New Zealand supported any sanctions the United Nations imposed rather than acting independently - unlike Australia, which joined other western security allies yesterday announcing sweeping economic sanctions against Russia.
Asked if New Zealand should have an autonomous sanctions regime, Mahuta said she would want it to include cyber security and threats and human rights concerns.
Her ministry could "take advice" on this, she said.
Asked about China's role in the current crisis, she replied: "You just cannot have a country that uses its size and scale to arbitrarily change boundaries that impact on the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of another country. That's at a first principles level ... You just can't have borders redrawn so simply."
It was unacceptable for Russia to redraw its boundaries, as it has done with President Vladimir Putin recognising the breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhans, as independent and ordering Russian troops there to "keep the peace."
The objection to a large country using its power for territorial gains applied equally to all countries, including China, Mahuta said.
