LONDON — Māori culture significantly influences how New Zealand Defence Force personnel carry out their work overseas. Thats according to a former NZDF trainer who assisted in preparing Ukrainian troops in Operation Tīeke.
Speaking to Te Ao Māori News, the trainer, who asked not to be named due to operational sensitivity said: “Māori culture is a major difference in how we operate, not just with the Ukrainians but with all deployments.”
The comments come as Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a training site in southern England, where New Zealand soldiers are contributing to efforts to train Ukrainian forces.
The Prime Ministers observed a staged military exercise on Tuesday, as Ukrainian soldiers conducted a simulated advancement using blank rounds and smoke effects to replicate battlefield conditions. He said he was humbled by the simulation and “inspired” by what he witnessed.
“When you understand the reality of the Ukrainian troupes that have come here to be trained, many of them have actually come here from professions that have nothing to do with military backgrounds,” he said.
Operation Tīeke is New Zealand’s contribution to Operation Interflex, the British-led multinational training programme aimed at supporting and upskilling Ukrainian troops amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Operation Interflex, launched by the UK in 2022, is a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It brings together forces from several allied nations to deliver basic and advanced military training to Ukrainian recruits.
E tapatahi ana me Ukarani
No tēnei wiki puta ai te whakatau a te Kāwanatanga ka whakaroa rātou i ngā mahi whakangūngū, a, ka whakaū tonu ngā hoia kotahi rau ki Ingarangi kia whakahaere tonu i ngā mahi whakawhanake i ngā hōia.
A, ka nui ake ngā mahi matataua, ngā mahi whakarite hoki.
I pātaihia te Pirimia mehemea me nui ake te tautoko o Aotearoa i a Ukarani. Kaore ia mo te tino whakautu i taua pātai engari kē ia i ū tonu ia ki te kōrero ‘E tapatahi ana te tū me Ukarani’
“We keep calling out. This war could end tomorrow, frankly, if Russia removed their troops. It’s an illegal, immoral and unjust war”
