The Prime Minister says expelling the Russian Ambassador to New Zealand is one of the "least meaningful" options the Government has to express disapproval of Vladimir Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
But National MP Erica Stanford says the time for diplomacy ended when Moscow "started dropping bombs on women and children in shopping centres" and wants the Government to kick Russian Ambassador Georgii Viktorovich Zuev out of the country.
Putin announced on Wednesday night a partial mobilisation to help in its assault on Ukraine and also threatened to use nuclear weapons if Russian territory was threatened. Russian-occupied provinces of Ukraine will also go forward with referenda on whether to join Russia.
The Russian President's latest steps have been widely condemned, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying they highlight Putin's "lie" that he was liberating Ukraine and calling the referenda a "sham".
But while Putin makes threats of nuclear warfare and his soldiers kill innocent Ukrainian people sheltering in their homes, New Zealand continues to allow the Russian Ambassador to remain at his Embassy in Wellington.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta on Thursday said expelling Zuev was under "active consideration". But there are fears that expelling him will lead to diplomatic channels being shut and Moscow retaliating by kicking out our own representatives over there.
"The position of New Zealand is to keep open diplomatic channels in order to de-escalate the situation," Mahuta said. "We assess our position in relation to the actions of Putin. Right now, hosting a referendum that would impact on the sovereignty of Ukraine appears to be an escalation rather than a de-escalation of the situation."
Ardern said on Friday morning expelling the Russian Ambassador has always been an option but it's not one New Zealand or "our like-minded partners" have yet exercised.
"That is because actually of all of the things we could do that is one of the least meaningful in this situation."
She said New Zealand's other actions - such as sanctioning Russian individuals and businesses, contributing humanitarian aid and helping to train Ukrainian soldiers - had a greater impact.
Ardern met with Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly event in New York on Thursday. She said that firmed up her view sanctions were the most important action New Zealand could take.
"The question has always been for us, 'What is the most meaningful thing we can do to bring it into this war?' Ukraine has never asked us to expel the Ambassador. Surely, for those who are at the front line, it is meaningful to us to respond to what they are pointing to."
Ardern said "we want dialogue and diplomacy to end this war" and kicking out diplomatic staff means fewer opportunities for that.
But Stanford, a National MP, told AM on Friday morning New Zealand must show the world "that we won't stand for this" and expel the Ambassador.
"I think the time for diplomacy really was over when [Putin] started dropping bombs on women and children in shopping centres. I don't think there's much to be gained from having the Ambassador here for all of this time."
She said Putin's latest comments were "gravely concerning".
"Vladimir Putin's language has changed. You see him talking about mass conscription, annexation and now this nuclear threat… he's backed into a corner. He's unpredictable."
Labour minister Michael Wood, also appearing on AM, said Russia's invasion has been "barbaric from the beginning" and New Zealand has had a "very strong" response. He reiterated expelling the Russian Ambassador remained an option but Russia could react by kicking out New Zealand's team in Moscow.
National's been calling for the Russian Ambassador to be expelled since the early days of the Ukraine invasion. The party's foreign affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee on Thursday said considering New Zealand's nuclear-free stance, the Government should respond to Putin's threats by kicking Zuev out.
"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."
The ACT Party has also made a similar point, saying if the Prime Minister stands by her anti-nuclear comments, then she "cannot possibly condone having a representative from a nation whose leader is threatening the war with nuclear warfare".
