Ukraine is in dire need of military aid to help fight off the Russian invasion. It has repeatedly asked for more military aid.

New Zealand has at least 30 surplus LAV3 (NZLAV) armoured vehicles. The New Zealand Defence Force has been struggling to find a buyer for 20 of these vehicles since 2012, and 30 of these vehicles since 2019. A deal to sell 22 of these vehicles to the Chilean Navy was finalised on the 20th of April, well after the war in Ukraine started and it was clear they would need armoured vehicles, but 8 vehicles remain unsold. And according to some sources the total surplus vehicles is actually 40, in which case 18 could be gifted to Ukraine post the Chilean sale. The New Zealand Defence Force and the New Zealand Government should do the right thing and send the remaining vehicles to Ukraine for free. They really need them. 

The role of the New Zealand Defence Force is to help protect people from invasions like the one happening in Ukraine, not to make money from arms deals. Instead of having these vehicles sitting in storage doing nothing or selling them to countries that don't really need them, New Zealand could gift these vehicles to the Ukrainian armed forces where they could make a real contribution to the battle to liberate Ukraine.

The UK is sending 120 armoured vehicles to Ukraine. Australia is sending 60 Bushmaster armoured vehicles and 28 M113 APCs. The Czech Republic is even sending actual tanks in addition to infantry fighting vehicles. Greece recently announced that it was sending a staggering 122 BMP-1P IFVs. The list of countries supplying this kind of equipment grows almost daily. New Zealand can and should step up also in aiding the defence of a fellow democratic country defending itself against an unjustified and illegal invasion.

Sign the petition to send these armoured vehicles to Ukraine.