New Zealand’s top diplomat in the UK has been dismissed after he appeared to question President Trump’s grasp of history and his approach to Russia. The remarks were reportedly made at an event hosted by the London-based think tank, Chatham House.

Phil Goff, formerly New Zealand’s High Commissioner to the UK, reportedly attempted to contrast Winston Churchill’s strategies with Nazi Germany against Trump’s dealings with Russia.

Goff mentioned he was revisiting a well-known 1938 speech by Churchill, in which the British leader criticized then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s decision regarding the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler.

“President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?,” Goff asked Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, alluding to the bust that was present during a tense exchange between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Valtonen seemed hesitant, limiting her response and avoiding direct comments on Trump, instead noting that many of Churchill’s comments remain “timeless.”

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who fired Goff, described the diplomat’s question to the media as “deeply disappointing” and said it made “his position as high commissioner to London untenable.”

Peters described Goff’s dismissal as “one of the most difficult” decisions of his career. He added that he would have been “forced to act” regardless of which nation Goff had made the statement about, suggesting the firing wasn’t solely due to the perceived insult to Trump.

“When you’re in that position, you represent the views of the government and the policies of the day – you’re not able to free-think, you are the face of New Zealand,” Peters stated on Thursday.

Goff has had a distinguished political career, including roles as foreign minister, Labour Party leader, and mayor of Auckland. He was appointed High Commissioner to the UK in 2022.