The war in Ukraine, an economic crisis, a global battle for power waged on the ground and online - all in all - "bloody messy".
That was the assessment of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, speaking to Sydney's Lowy Institute, where she again reiterated New Zealand's independent foreign policy.
She admitted the global picture was "grim" but said New Zealand remained optimistic, and committed to multi-lateral institutions.
Our political reporter Anneke Smith is in Sydney and filed this report.
