NZ on the Russian blacklist

Russia’s decision to ban entry to 32 New Zealand officials and journalists is another retaliation to sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.

Those named join an earlier Russian list of 130 people released in April which included the Prime Minister, all MPs, the GovernorGeneral, and intelligence and defence officials.

This new slap on Saturday was in response to New Zealand’s “Russophobic agenda”, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Among those on the blacklist are the military secretary to the Minister of Defence and the mayors of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Earlier this year, New Zealand banned hundreds of Russians linked to politics and business and imposed a tariff on Russian imports.

Other Kiwis can expect to be added to the Russian list.

“Taking into account that Wellington does not intend to abandon its anti-Russian course and continues to produce new restrictions (against Moscow), work on updating the ‘blacklist’ will continue,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

On one level, this is standard, titfor-tat retaliation but it’s also meaningless as a punishment.

With Russia now into its sixth month of an unprovoked, illegal war on its neighbour, it wouldn’t be a destination high on most officials’ travel plans.

Perhaps there’s an underlying Kremlin assumption that this will change at some stage and the pariah regime of Vladimir Putin will be accepted back into a form of normal relations with Western nations, and that a ban on visiting the country could then count for something.

It’s increasingly hard to see that happening while Putin is in power. Despite Nato countries sending weapons to Ukraine to enable it to resist the aggression, Russia isn’t presently trying to draw them directly into this current conflict.

But Putin has clearly demonstrated to European neighbours that Russia could be a military threat to them in the future, should he remain in power.

Russia’s apparent goal of gaining all Ukraine was lost early and replaced by trying to consolidate control over a limited zone of territory and cause infrastructure damage elsewhere. Opportunities for a face-saving exit now seem gone.

Ukraine is reportedly aiming to retake the city of Kherson near the Black Sea. Kyiv last week struck a bridge there, used by the Russian military to restock troops, with USsupplied weapons.

Ukraine taking back Kherson would be a major advance for Kyiv and could put Russian-controlled territory in the south within reach. But Putin would likely find ways to hit back.

It could be a long wait for cruise ship stop-offs in St Petersburg for Russian-sanctioned Kiwis.