It's been a week of brutal fighting in the east of Ukraine, with one military commentator telling the BBC that Russia spending a whole day taking a paddock's worth of territory is something akin to the trench fighting in the First World War.
Closer to home, China's increasingly visible presence and desire to showcase its strategic reach in the Pacific has intensified concerns about its growing influence in the region. The US, meanwhile, remains similarly determined to assert itself.
However, Waikato University's Professor of International Law Al Gillespie says China's presence in the Pacific need not be seen entirely negatively. He argues that - in the right circumstances - "Chinese assistance can have a positive impact on economic and social outcomes in recipient countries".
Professor Gillespie, author of the multi-volume The Causes of War and The History of the Laws of War, joins the show to discuss these stories.
The leaders of New Zealand and the US acknowledge they need to work harder in the Pacific, as China seeks to exert greater influence. Photo: RNZ, Pixabay
