Samoa PM condemns Putin's war in Ukraine

Apia, SAMOA — Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has reiterated Samoa’s position in condemning Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, while expressing regret at the rising death toll from the war. 

Speaking in a video interview with the Government Press Secretariat this past weekend, Fiame said Samoa stands in unity with other governments who are against the unlawful actions of one country invading another independent sovereign nation.

“Many leaders from America, Australia and New Zealand have spoken in unity towards condemning the actions of Russia invading Ukraine,” she said. 

The Prime Minister said Samoa sits on the roundtable of the United Nations, which discusses such matters.

She said there is a Security Council within the UN, which makes decisions on matters pertaining to wars and conflict.

“This committee has held its meeting… but the general assembly, which Samoa is part of, our representative has delivered Samoa’s stance on the issue,” said Fiame. “There were governments that voted while others abstained from voicing whether they would support.

“But the majority of the countries have voted against the invasion and to call it off.”

Fiame then expressed regret at the worsening situation in Ukraine with the rising deaths and damage to property.

“There have been reports of people who have died and many properties have been damaged,” she added. “When I think about us, I feel pity because we do not know of such tragedies, especially of war.” 

The UN Security Council voted last Sunday to convene a rare emergency special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly, on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. 

 “Samoa is greatly concerned by the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation,” Samoa’s Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations, Ambassador Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr. Pa’olelei Luteru said.

As a peace loving and vulnerable small island state, Fatumanava said Samoa stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. 

“Samoa believes that there are only a few global mechanisms available to safeguard our security, continued existence and wellbeing,” he said. 

“One of these lies in the maintenance of global peace and the respect for the rules-based international order.

“We therefore condemn Russia's unprovoked attack on the sovereignty and political independence of Ukraine."

(Source: Samoa Observer)

COOK ISLANDS RESORT BANS RUSSIANS

A Cook Islands resort owner says he is standing by his decision to ban all Russians as a protest against the Ukraine invasion.

The Rarotongan Beach Resort and Lagoonarium, typically welcomes a few hundred Russian guests a year, but over the weekend this message appeared on its social media pages — “With regret, Russians are banned from our hotels until every single Russian soldier has left Ukraine.”

The post has since been deleted but Tata Crocombe said he stands by his decision despite critics calling it 'discriminatory'.

However, Crocombe said the resort ban would eventually be softened to only apply to Russian citizens who support Vladimir Putin's war.

"Other international hotels are asking if Russian guests support the war and if they don't they can stay," he said.

Crocombe said he is also donating to causes like the Red Cross which are helping victims of the conflict and that Cook Islands businesses and other locals were banding together to find out how best to support Ukraine and raise funds to help those fleeing the country.

 (Source: RNZ Pacific)