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Robert G. Patman

Robert G. Patman

The Conversation

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The long shadow of 9/11 and the retreat of an independent New Zealand foreign policy

The long shadow of 9/11 and the retreat of an independent New Zealand foreign policy

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, many of the forces now shaping NZ foreign policy can be traced back to how the US responded to the terror attacks.

11.09.2026 10

The Conversation

Robert G. Patman

The US‑Israel attack on Iran paints NZ foreign policy into a corner

By appealing to international law and a ‘rules-based’ order, but not opposing the US-Israeli action, the government appears caught in the...

04.03.2026 40

The Conversation

Robert G. Patman

As Trump rewrites the rules in Venezuela, NZ faces a foreign policy reckoning

The US intervention in Venezuela makes it clear NZ’s ‘softly softly’ foreign policy isn’t a feasible long-term response to a shifting world order.

05.01.2026 30

The Conversation

Robert G. Patman

Trump’s new security strategy exposes the limits of NZ’s ‘softly-softly ’ diplomacy

The new US National Security Strategy marks a historic break – and a problem for the NZ government’s policy of closer strategic alignment with...

19.12.2025 30

The Conversation

Robert G. Patman

By not recognising a Palestinian state, NZ puts its own hard-won reputation on the line

By not joining its close allies over the question of Palestinian statehood, NZ risks being ‘on the wrong side of history’.

29.09.2025 20

The Conversation

Robert G. Patman

As Luxon heads to China, his government’s pivot toward the US is a stumbling block

It’s becoming harder to argue NZ shares common values and interests with the Trump administration, or that the alliance balances Chinese...

17.06.2025 20

The Conversation

Robert G. Patman