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Defence Minister Andrew Little says former New Zealand Defence Force soldier Kane Te Tai showed a commitment to the democratic values Ukraine is fighting to protect.
Mr Te Tai, a member of the foreign legion fighting in Ukraine, was killed last week while clearing a Russian trench in the Donbas region.
Mr Little says he took his skills up as an individual and put them to good use, but he was aware it was high risk.
“I know the family is getting some consular assistance and they are entitled to get that and they should get that but obviously for people who go there for good reasons and good motivations it is still a highly-risky area and tragically this guy is not going to come back alive,” he says.
Mr Little says New Zealand supports Ukraine through humanitarian assistance and funding for weapons, but it is not committing troops because of concern by NATO allies that this could allow Russia to broaden the conflict.
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