New Zealand Fires Senior Diplomat Over Remarks on Trump’s Understanding of History
New Zealand has dismissed its top diplomat to the United Kingdom, Phil Goff, after he made remarks questioning US President Donald Trump’s understanding of history.
During an event in London on Tuesday, Goff, who is New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the UK, compared efforts to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine to the Munich Agreement of 1938, which allowed Nazi Germany to annex Czechoslovakia.
In his comments, Goff recalled how Winston Churchill had criticized the Munich Agreement and then remarked, “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?”
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, called Goff’s comments “deeply disappointing,” adding that they made his position “untenable.”
The remarks came after President Trump paused military aid to Ukraine following a tense exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Goff drew a comparison between Trump and Churchill, who, despite his estrangement from the British government, famously opposed the Munich Agreement, seeing it as a capitulation to Nazi Germany’s threats. Goff quoted Churchill’s rebuke to then-UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain: "You had the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, yet you will have war."
Peters emphasized that Goff’s personal views did not reflect New Zealand’s official stance, stating, "When you are in that position, you represent the government and the policies of the day. You’re not able to free think; you are the face of New Zealand."
He added that Goff’s behavior was not appropriate for a diplomat, saying, “It’s not the way you behave as the front face of a country, diplomatically.”
Goff had held the position since January 2023. Prior to that, he served in various ministerial roles, including justice, foreign affairs, and defense.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark criticized Goff’s dismissal, arguing that it was based on a “very thin excuse.” In a post on X, she noted, "I have been at the Munich Security Conference recently where many draw parallels between Munich 1938 and US actions now."
