National is reiterating its call for the Government to expel the Russian Ambassador, National’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee says.

“I have been calling for the expulsion of the Russian Ambassador since February this year, and I am reiterating that call today as President Putin threatens nuclear retaliation.

“The Russian Ambassador should have been expelled long before now. His continued presence in New Zealand is completely untenable with the ongoing atrocities and escalation of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“New Zealand has always been proud of its nuclear-free stance. The Government needs to respond to the threat of nuclear retaliation by finally expelling the Russian Ambassador.

“No New Zealander can watch the news, being confronted by the horror being inflicted on Ukrainians, without supporting the view that Russia must be isolated from the international community.”