New Zealand will rush a bill through parliament this week that will significantly ramp up its sanctions against Russia and its oligarchs, in line with its western allies.
The Russia Sanctions Bill is the “first of its kind” in New Zealand, which has no legal framework for passing broader, unilateral sanctions and usually only does so when called on by the UN security council. As a permanent member of the body, Moscow has vetoed any action against it.
“A bill of this nature has never been brought before our parliament, but with Russia vetoing UN sanctions we must act ourselves to support Ukraine and our partners in opposition to this invasion,” the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said.
The country initially responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with targeted travel bans, prohibiting exports to the military and suspending bilateral ministry consultations.
“We have said throughout our response that no options were off the table, and that we’d continue to do more in line with New Zealand’s unequivocal opposition to Russia’s actions,” Ardern said. “Despite international condemnation and the resilience and resistance of the Ukrainian people, Russia’s assault continues, and so must our pressure.”
The new sanctions would enable the government to freeze assets located in New Zealand and prevent those sanctioned from moving assets to the country or using its financial system as “a back door to get around sanctions” imposed by other countries, Ardern said.
The new law would also allow for sanctions to be imposed on states that were complicit with Russia, including Belarus.
Sanctions could also apply to trade, and financial institutions, as well as stopping the likes of Russian super yachts, ships and aircraft from entering New Zealand waters or airspace.
The minister of foreign affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, said New Zealand had decided that a targeted sanctions bill is required “to show condemnation in the strongest possible terms”.
“New Zealand continues to call on Russia to do what is right and immediately cease military operations in Ukraine and permanently withdraw to avoid a catastrophic loss of innocent life.”
The government’s media release included a list of more than 100 individuals who would be affected by the government’s travel bans.
The prime minister also said she would continue to consider a broader autonomous sanctions law, which would allow the country to unilaterally impose sanctions. That would be a turnaround for the government, which has twice shot down such a bill put forward by the opposition National party over concerns that the bill failed to adequately cover cybersecurity and human rights abuses.
“Fast forward to this situation, that bill as it stood was not fit for purpose for what we needed to do, so we’ve created our own bespoke response, and now we’ll continue the wider autonomous sanctions work,” Ardern said.
New Zealand has been under increasing pressure to increase its response, as other western nations draw on powers in Magnitsky laws, which, like the sanctions announced on Monday, target corrupt officials and human rights offenders.
The architect of the US’s Magnitsky Act, Bill Browder, told RNZ on Monday that he was “surprised” New Zealand had not yet stepped up its response.