Opinion: 'Diplomatic explosion' hits NZ's big global moment

Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin (Reuters, file)
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin (Reuters, file)

The "diplomatic explosion" between Russia and the United States has changed everything when it comes to New Zealand's big moment at the world's top table this week.

New Zealand is chairing the Security Council as it meets about Syria, which Prime Minister John Key has described as probably his biggest moment on the world stage.

But the diplomatic slanging match between the US and Russia after the US bombing of Syrian forces has tipped the meeting upside down.

The meeting was meant to be a chance to push on from the Syria ceasefire, but now a "Cold War" has broken out.

The meeting was set to be a rare chance for the world to sit down and talk and try and find a way through the horrors facing Syria.

Now Mr Key will sit between this Cold War-style face-off between Russia and the United States.

The stakes have a got lot higher for the people of Syria, and New Zealand's moment on the world stage just got a whole lot bigger.