Mahuta aims more missiles – of the sanctionary variety – at Putin and his cronies

Buzz from the Beehive  

Was that wincing we heard from the Kremlin?

Probably.  It would have been triggered by the news being communicated to Vladimir Putin that Nanaia Mahuta has announced a new tranche of 23 sanctions as part of New Zealand ongoing response to Russia’s illegal and unjustified assault on Ukraine.

The further sanctions target Russia’s military-industrial complex, paramilitary groups, and individuals involved in unlawfully transporting and deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. They also capture several further Belarusian financial institutions in response to the escalating support Belarus is providing in aid of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine.

The announcement was posted on the New Zealand government’s official website yesterday, after Point of Order had reported to readers on the latest goings-on in the Beehive.

The last item we recorded was also from our Minister of Foreign Affairs, who advised us that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to visit New Zealand next week for bilateral meetings and to attend the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

This was followed by …