The Russian invasion of Ukraine confirms that we are in unstable times and a predictable world order for does not exist in the way we may have hoped, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.
Speaking this afternoon at the weekly post-Cabinet briefing, Ardern said the response of Ukrainians to the invasion launched by Russia was "extraordinary".
"I cannot imagine what it would be like to have your homeland invaded in that way. And so I think what we are seeing is all the human emotions that you would expect people would feel to have such a brazen and inhumane invasion ... but also it is extraordinary, because you can only imagine what it is to be faced with the full force of the Russian military, and I've even heard reports of civilians standing in a line in front of tanks as they move through their towns."
She said we are in unstable times, and unfortunately the invasion has "confirmed that the predictability we thought we had in the international world order does not exist in the way we may have believed and hoped it might".
"Many of us may have already had the view that was the case but it is still nonetheless confronting to see it writ large."
New Zealand has deployed several measures: imposing individual travel bans on high-ranking Russian individuals; limiting diplomatic engagements with Russia; imposing a blanket ban on export of goods to Russian military and security forces; and pledging $2m in humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
Statements condemning the invasion have also been made both by Ardern and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
Ardern said the government was looking at further action it could take, including through limiting incoming investment into New Zealand from Russia.
However, the government has continued to shy away from National's autonomous sanctions bill, which would allow New Zealand to lodge its own economic sanctions against Russia indepenedently of the UN.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Ardern said that was not the only way New Zealand could respond, and changing the entire autonomous sanctions regime for every future scenario would not be as quick as some of the other options being considered.
"Our view at the moment is changing the law on autonomous sanctions may not be as timely as some of the options that we otherwise might have and we want to make sure that we are impactful".
Australia and other countries had also moved to supply weapons to Ukraine via Nato.
Ardern said the scale of New Zealand's armed forces meant supplies of weapons from New Zealand were simply not available, nor would they be at the scale that Ukraine would require.
"What New Zealand can do is make sure that we're making a contribution to other parts of the effort."
She said international partners considered New Zealand's actions and statements to be in keeping with theirs.
The government did not have authority over the investments of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, but she said those who ran it were going through a process looking at any interests linked to Russia and those responsible for the invasion.
Asked whether she would consider banning the Russian state media channel RT, which has been spreading disinformation, Ardern did not rule it out but said she wanted to go back and check some of the detail.