UNCLASSIFIED
New Zealand Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Manatū Aorere
195 Lambton Quay
26 January 2026
Private Bag 18−901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
T +64 4 439 8000
F +64 4 472 9596
Nigel Gray
OIA 30597
[FYI request #33159 email]
Tēnā koe Nigel Gray
Thank you for your email of 6 December 2025, transferred from Department of the
Prime Minister and Cabinet on 11 December 2025, in which you request the following
under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA):
“Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request disclosure of the following
information from 1 January 2022 to present:
1. Cabinet papers, ministerial briefings, or inter-agency communications
identifying the decision-making authority for New Zealand’s support to Ukraine.
2. Documentation of any external obligations, requests, or pressures from
international organizations or foreign governments that influenced Cabinet’s
decision.
3. Records of the approval process, including which Ministers or committees
authorised NZ’s support.”
Information relevant to parts one and three of your request is publicly available on the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the Ministry) website. Accordingly, these parts of
your request are refused under section 18(d) of the OIA:
https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/europe/ukraine/russian-invasion-of-
ukraine/proactive-release-of-ukraine-russia-advice-to-ministers
Part two of your OIA is refused under section 18(e) of the OIA, as the information does
not exist, or despite reasonable efforts to locate it, cannot be found.
Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official
information requests where possible. Therefore, our response to your request (with your
personal information removed) may be published on the Ministry website:
www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/contact-us/official-information-act-responses/
UNCLASSIFIED
Page 2 of 2
If you have any questions about this decision, you can contact us by email at:
[email address]. You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision by contacting
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone
0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Sarah Corbett
for Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade
