Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has been offered the chance to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
Ukraine's Ambassador to New Zealand Vasyl Myroshnychenko told Breakfast the offer was made about a month ago during a call between Zelensky and Hipkins.
"It was a very good conversation and the president has conveyed and invitation to visit Kyiv and I believe that will be a unique opportunity, especially in view of the upcoming trip to Vilnius to attend NATO's summit [in July].
"The president would be delighted to welcome the prime minister the day before or the day after the summit."
Hipkins told Breakfast he's had several conversations with Zelensky but he doesn't know if the "logistics will work out" for him to to visit Ukraine.
"It's something that we're working through, it's not a short undertaking, it would take several days to get there and back and so we have to look at whether or not logistically that's possible.
"I haven't ruled it out but I do want to be realistic."
Hipkins said either way, he will meet with the Ukrainian Prime Minister at the NATO summit in Lithuania in a few weeks time.
Last year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was offered the same opportunity. Then-New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was given the chance to accompany Albanese but she declined.
Myroshnychenko hoped Hipkins would accept this time around.
"Every trip that a foreign dignitary can make to Kyiv at this time is a way to show support for Ukraine, it's a way to show solidarity with Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian people are very grateful for what is coming from New Zealand.
"I think visiting Ukraine is a unique opportunity, especially since the prime minister will already be in Europe, and it will very much be valued by Ukrainians who are now fighting and dying in the east trying to liberate Ukraine and defend democracy."
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters supported the possible meeting, saying any help we give to Ukraine "would be help to us as a country long-term" but said "it should’ve happened a long, long time ago".
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs said: "this is a serious conflict going on here where a country's being invaded and so we have to make a stand on these things because sooner or later it becomes us. These things are never narrowed down to one geopolitical area."
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