New Zealand on Thursday recalled its top diplomat in Britain after he made comments questioning President Trump’s understanding of history at a public event, in a sign of the unease and sensitivities around expressing disagreements with the Trump administration.

       Phil Goff, New Zealand’s high commissioner to Britain — the equivalent of an ambassador between Commonwealth countries — made the comments in London on Tuesday at an event about the war in Ukraine and peace in Europe.

       Mr. Goff spoke up with a question after a speech by Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen, at the Chatham House think tank, in which she spoke about the role of Europe in the face of Russian aggression and resolving the war in Ukraine.

       Citing Winston Churchill on the choice between dishonor and war, Mr. Goff asked: “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office, but do you think he really understands history?”

       Advertisement

       SKIP ADVERTISEMENT

       The audience laughed. Invoking Churchill’s criticism of his predecessor as prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, for reaching a deal with Hitler, Mr. Goff appeared to make a wry allusion to Mr. Trump’s embrace of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. Mr. Trump has falsely suggested that Ukraine, not Mr. Putin, is responsible for the war.

       But Ms. Valtonen deflected, saying that Churchill had “made very timeless remarks.”

       In a statement on Thursday, New Zealand’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, described Mr. Goff’s remarks as “deeply disappointing” and said that they made his position “untenable.”

       Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.