Former New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Phil Goff has broken his silence following his dismissal over comments critical of U.S. President Donald Trump, insisting he has no regrets and would do it again. In his first public statements since being sacked by Foreign Minister Winston Peters, Goff has doubled down on his remarks, saying they were motivated by principle, not politics.
Goff’s dismissal came after a question he posed during a Chatham House event in London on March 4. Addressing Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, Goff referenced a 1938 speech by Winston Churchill criticising the appeasement of Nazi Germany. He then asked, “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?”
The comment was made in the wake of a turbulent week in international relations. President Trump had paused U.S. military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine, following a heated White House exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance. Goff’s question invoked Churchill’s rebuke of then-British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain: “You had the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, yet you will have war.”
Foreign Minister Peters swiftly recalled Goff, stating his remarks were “deeply disappointing” and made his position “untenable.” Peters argued that as New Zealand’s top diplomat in the UK, Goff was obligated to represent government policy, not personal opinion. “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,” Peters told reporters.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon later said he supported Peters’ decision, calling it “entirely appropriate.”
Goff, however, has stood firm. “It was an important question to ask and it needed to be asked,” he told RNZ. “And if the price of that was losing my job, well, so be it.” In a lengthy public statement, Goff likened the Trump administration’s recent conduct to a “George Orwell novel,” accusing the U.S. President of spreading “untruthful” claims about the war in Ukraine. He said staying silent would have made New Zealand “complicit.”
“I found it bizarre to hear President Trump publicly label Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator. Everyone knew that Zelenskyy had been democratically elected,” Goff wrote. “Trump made no similar remarks or criticism of Vladimir Putin, and never does. Yet Putin’s regime imprisons and murders his opponents and suppresses democratic rights in Russia.” He further described Trump and Vance’s confrontation with Zelenskyy as “disgraceful bullying,” and accused the U.S. of appeasing Russian aggression while punishing Ukraine.
Goff’s comments have reignited a wider debate about the balance between diplomatic protocol and moral responsibility. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark criticised the dismissal, calling it a “very thin excuse.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she noted, “I have been at Munich Security Conference recently where many draw parallels between Munich 1938 and US actions now.”
The fallout has also drawn attention to the inner workings of the New Zealand government. Peters reportedly dismissed Goff without consulting Prime Minister Luxon. When questioned about this, Peters responded, “I know he’s the prime minister. I made him the prime minister.”
Despite the political storm, Goff has made clear he is not seeking a fight with Peters. “He has the prerogative to take the action that he did … He made the decision I should be recalled and I accept that. That’s the beginning and end of it,” Goff said. Still, he remains unapologetic. “What Trump was doing and saying was wrong and a betrayal of Ukraine’s struggle to defend its freedom and nationhood. Democratic leaders around the world knew his comments to be unfair and untrue, yet few countries have dared to criticise Trump for making them,” he wrote.
Drawing from his personal experiences, Goff recalled emotionally intense meetings with Ukrainian soldiers in the UK. “As New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the UK, I had on a number of occasions met and talked with Ukrainian soldiers being trained by New Zealanders in Britain. It was an emotionally intense experience knowing that many of the men I met with would soon face death on the front line defending their country’s freedom and nationhood.”
He warned of the dangers of silence in the face of disinformation. “Like the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, everyone knew that the emperor had no clothes but were fearful of the consequences of speaking out to tell the truth.”
With his return to New Zealand, Goff says he’s not planning a return to political office, but is considering writing a book. “I’m not much interested in running for office or a heavily partisan role but rather a role where I can say what I think, where I can share ideas with people,” he said.
Reflecting on his dismissal, Goff remains resolute: “We have never been afraid to challenge aggressors or to ask questions of our allies. In asking a question about President Trump’s position on Ukraine, I am content that my actions will be on the right side of history.”