'I keep my word.' Ex-minister from New Zealand visits Ukraine despite travel ban
Photo: Former New Zealand Defense Minister Ron Mark (Getty Images)
Former New Zealand Defense Minister Ron Mark has visited Ukraine, defying his own government's travel ban and expressing strong support for the Ukrainian people.
He shared his visit on his personal Facebook page.
A video posted on his account shows him standing in the heart of Kyiv, near an exhibition of destroyed Russian military equipment, close to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Good to be back," wrote the former minister, who is currently the mayor of Carterton.
As Kyiv Post noted, Mark arrived in Ukraine on a day when Kyiv was under attack by 550 drones. Still, the former minister said it was important to keep his word — "come back to indicate support that New Zealand has for Ukraine."
Mark's presence in Ukraine is unofficial. He is not part of any government delegation. Like his previous visits, this one is completely private and self-funded, even though it directly contradicts the official position of the New Zealand government, which still bans its citizens from traveling to Ukraine.
"What am I doing here? Just keeping my word — to come to Ukraine and show support personally," he said.
Mark's involvement with Ukraine began in March 2022 with a call from Pastor Owen Pomana of Humanity Ukraine NZ, who was in Ukraine at the time. Together with the UK-based charity Great Commission Society (GCS), they delivered food and medicine and helped evacuate women, children, and the elderly from combat zones. One of their major challenges was the urgent need for buses to evacuate people from the besieged city of Mariupol — they needed ten, but couldn't find any.
Ron recalls that he couldn't help them, so he decided to go to Ukraine and see everything with his own eyes.
In May 2022, he joined a GCS humanitarian mission and traveled through Dunayivtsi, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Dnipro, and Kyiv, delivering food and medical supplies to shelled and devastated communities.
Upon returning home, he became one of Ukraine's key voices in the New Zealand media. In July, he returned to Ukraine as GCS's official ambassador, meeting with military personnel and government officials, and signing a memorandum of cooperation between GCS and the Ukrainian government.
Although his support is unofficial, it has been vital, involving calls, messages, video communication, and moral encouragement.
Ron Mark has also become a key contact point for dozens of New Zealanders who came to Ukraine since the start of the war, despite the New Zealand government's official ban on such travel. The country does not officially support the participation of its citizens in the conflict.
This summer, Ron Mark returned to Ukraine again — not with GCS, not as part of any official delegation — but simply to fulfill a promise.
During his visit, he stopped by the Way to Health rehabilitation center in Dnipro, met with the team from Superhumans Ukraine, and connected with New Zealand doctors working to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines.
As Kyiv Post notes, throughout his career, Ron Mark has served as a paratrooper in Oman, a Defense Minister, a parliamentary leader, and a mayor. He reformed New Zealand's veterans' support system and has received awards from Oman, the UN, and New Zealand. A descendant of nine Māori tribes, he was raised in foster care and is a former soldier turned politician.
"Now, in his eighth decade of life, he's back on the front lines — unarmed, but armed with experience, reputation, and a voice people trust," the report concludes.
New Zealand's support for Ukraine
While not on the same scale as NATO countries, New Zealand's support for Ukraine has been principled and consistent.
From the very beginning, New Zealand condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The country regularly votes in favor of pro-Ukraine resolutions at the United Nations, condemns Russian aggression, and supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Its prime ministers and foreign ministers have repeatedly issued strong statements against Russia's actions.
Most recently, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced a new aid package worth 16 million New Zealand dollars (over $9.4 million), which will include both military and humanitarian assistance.
