Winston Peters Says New Zealand Wants Permanent Gaza Ceasefire

Lillian
Hanly, Political reporter

Foreign
Minister Winston Peters says he’s deeply concerned about renewed
fighting in Gaza.

Peters said “a permanent end to
the fighting needs to be found.”

Israel launched its
first
ground offensive since the Gaza ceasefire collapsed, a
day after Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza and killed
more than 400 people, Palestinian health authorities
said. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
defended the resumption of airstrikes saying
negotiations on restoring the ceasefire would continue “only
under fire”.

On a visit to Washington Peters told
RNZ New Zealand’s position was clear.

“We want the end
of this war, now, and a permanent ceasefire, now.

“New
Zealand has consistently called for a ceasefire and
de-escalation of tensions in the region.

“This is
critical for ending the incomprehensible human suffering
over the past year and a half.”

The minister said New
Zealand called on “both sides to reinstate the ceasefire and
fully implement the terms of the deal.”

US relations
a ‘two-way street’

Speaking to RNZ at the end of his
trip to Washington DC, Peters said New Zealand’s
relationship with the US was a “two-way street” both
countries have expectations of each other.

Peters met
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday NZT in which the
long relationship between the two countries, trade and
security were discussed.

The minister said they were
“seriously well received”, and “we came here on a mission
and I think the mission thus far has been seriously
accomplished.”

Peters said he came to “ask of the
Americans as to what they wanted of us, and to tell the
Americans what we wanted of them.”

Former Prime
Minister Helen Clark has criticised
the diplomatic stance of the trip saying Peters
travelling to Washington DC to “ask what they want from us”
is deeply injurious to New Zealand’s foreign
policy.

Has #NZ
foreign policy really come to this? A foreign minister
travelling to Trump Administration in DC to ask “what they
want of us”. This is self-abasement at a level not seen
since the Muldoon years & deeply injurious to NZ’s
independent foreign policy: https://t.co/ev7awamkLX

—
Helen Clark (@HelenClarkNZ) March
18, 2025

But Peters rejected the
notion that it was one-sided, saying “it’s a two-way
street.”

“That’s what independent foreign policy looks
like.

“Every relationship that we’ve got
internationally has the same dual purpose. We’ve got
expectations of those countries, and they’ve got
expectations of us.”

Defence spending

On
defence spending, Peters said there was an indication from
the administration the “increasing of our expenditure was
important.”

Peters also addressed trade, saying he had
done as much as he can to help New Zealand businesses avoid
trade tariffs during his visit to the United
States.

He pointed out to the administration that New
Zealand has been asking for a trade deal with the US for
decades. He also pointed out it’s been 41 years since New
Zealand “freed up our economy in terms of tariffs and
charges and protectionsim.”

“We have a better record
on this matter than the UNited States has, they understand
that.”

Peters indicated there were “revolving
policies” on USAid, and the question of tariffs going
forward.

“As of right here right now, we’ve done as
good as we possibly can and we have reason to be very
confident about where we’re going in the future.”

He
said he wouldn’t pass judgment on the Russia-Ukraine
ceasfire deal until he knows more details.

When asked
if New Zealand would oppose a ceasefire deal that was
preferred Russia’s condtions, Peters said the “wise thing to
do is to make no comment until you know what you’re talking
about.”

“We don’t know what that deal is about
yet.”

Peters said “everybody knows” Russia is the
aggressor in the
war.

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