New Zealand Extends Mission In UK To Train Ukrainian Troops

New Zealand said on Monday it would extend its mission to the United Kingdom to train Ukrainian troops through July 2023 but would cut its personnel by almost a half.

The island nation's prime minister and chiefs of foreign affairs and defense said they had agreed to continue providing "support to the United Kingdom armed forces-led operation to train Ukrainian personnel, with the deployment of one infantry training team numbering up to 66 NZDF personnel from 30 November 2022 to 31 July 2023."

The New Zealand defense forces currently have two infantry training teams comprising 120 personnel training Ukrainians in the UK.

New Zealand's intelligence staff will stay in the UK until the end of June. The presence of command support, logistics and liaison personnel has also been extended well into the summer. Additionally, the country pledged $1 million in funding for non-lethal military equipment and supplies for Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly stressed that military aid to Ukraine has made NATO allies and partners part of its conflict with Ukraine. New Zealand is not a NATO member state but is one of a range of countries beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, often referred to as "partners across the globe."