Government sensible to adopt 'blank canvas' stance on Russian spying - former minister

Former Defence Minister on Russian man's alleged spying for NZ

The government is being sensible by not confirming or denying spying in Russia, former defence minister Wayne Mapp says.

New Zealand is being accused of spying on Russia, but experts are questioning just how likely that is and say the event seems bound to worsen relations which are already poor.

The man's arrest in the south-east city of Khabarovsk - first reported by The Moscow Times and accompanied by a video from Russia's federal security service the FSB - was for allegedly using email and instant messaging to provide information to the NZ Security Intelligence Service.

The 55-year-old man could face life imprisonment if found guilty of treason.

The government and the SIS have refused to comment while Russia's Ambassador to New Zealand Stanislav Krans refused an invitation to be interviewed on Morning Report on Wednesday.

Security analyst Paul Buchanan and Waikato University professor of international law Al Gillespie are among those who said there were good reasons to be highly sceptical of the Russian statements.

Former defence minister Dr Wayne Mapp said while he was speculating about the FSB's narrative, the footage of the arrested man "does not look like James Bond, that's for sure".

He also surmised there could be some "Russian disinformation" because of the convenience that someone was able to film it on a street.

"We are talking about a paranoid state that believes it's surrounded by enemies. I imagine they think the Five Eyes group is the worst of their enemies."

Russia was a police state and something "doesn't seem right just looking at that footage of the arrest".

It was odd to have a "visual" arrest and the man was then seen in court. It suggested "a prepared narrative".

"It might be about Russia demonstrating to its own citizens: look, we're surrounded by these Five Eyes enemies."

The government's stance was the right approach, he said.

"... not unsurprisingly, ministers and the SIS are not going to tell us anything... the prime minister said he's been briefed. He's clearly been briefed on something."

Mapp said the government needed to leave the situation as "a blank canvas" and neither confirm nor deny any aspects.

"Even a denial says something, whereas a confirm nor deny says much less."