New Zealand will send 30 soldiers to the UK to offer training to Ukrainian troops, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said. “This additional deployment is really another way that New Zealand can support Ukraine...There are very few armed forces that could provide this training right now, which is why New Zealand has been specifically called upon,” Ms Ardern said.
Meanwhile, Russia on 24th February launched its invasion of Ukraine. And, according to the latest updates, Ukraine has said it will not agree to any ceasefire deal that would involve handing over territory to Russia, as Moscow intensified its attack in the eastern Donbas region. Zelenskiy has extended Ukraine’s martial law for three months through to 23 August. Ukraine’s parliament also banned the symbols “Z” and “V”, used by Russia’s military to promote its war in Ukraine, but agreed to Zelenskiy’s call to allow their use for educational or historic purposes. Also, YouTube has taken down more than 70,000 videos and 9,000 channels related to the war in Ukraine for violating content guidelines, including removal of videos that referred to the invasion as a “liberation mission”.