ANKARA

New Zealand on Tuesday announced additional sanctions on Russia for annexing four regions of Ukraine.

In a statement, New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the additional sanctions are part of her country’s ongoing response to the Ukrainian war and "illegal annexations."

“Our sanctions apply to a further 24 so-called ‘officials’ in these regions, who are agents of annexation. We reject what they represent, and we will continue to identify and sanction them,” said Mahuta in a joint statement with Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor.

“We have also extended sanctions on all members of the State Duma and Federation Council, Russia’s houses of Parliament which have given their support to Russia’s illegal actions," she added.

The new sanctions targeted 51 oligarchs, including New Zealand-linked Alexander Abramov, and 24 Russian-backed officeholders in the annexed areas of Ukraine.

New Zealand also extended a 35% tariff on Russian imports till March 2025 which was due to expire in November this year.

“Since the introduction of our trade measures in April, trade between Russia and Aotearoa New Zealand has already significantly reduced, with a 75% drop in imports,” said Damien O’Connor.

The new sanctions also prohibited exports and imports of luxury goods like NZ wine and seafood, Russian vodka, and caviar, as well as strategically important products like oil, gas, and related production equipment, according to O’Connor.

So far, New Zealand has imposed sanctions on over 1,000 individuals and entities since April, including trade measures to ban exports and imports from Russia.

Russia is currently the world’s most sanctioned country since its war on Ukraine in February.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid