New Zealand Election Could End Its Cautious Diplomatic Approach to Trump

Cost of living concerns are set to dominate this weekend’s election in New Zealand, but the result could also decide whether Wellington keeps its cautious stance toward US President Donald Trump or opts for a more independent foreign policy, analysts say.

With the major parties neck‑and‑neck in a tight race ahead of Saturday’s poll, the next government’s position on Washington and its defence priorities will likely depend on the smaller parties that must be brought into a coalition.

A key question, according to Robert Patman, a professor of international relations at the University of Otago in New Zealand, is whether Wellington will continue its so‑far ineffective “softly‑softly” approach to the second Trump administration.

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