Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has unleashed a blistering assault on NATO, after it failed to deliver a firm commitment on when Ukraine could join the military alliance.
Zelenskyy called it absurd.
Meanwhile, our prime minister Chris Hipkins was caught up in the whirlwind scramble of world leaders too - struggling with how to end the Russian conflict in Ukraine, without escalating it further.
Simply watching the motorcade in Lithuania's capital can make one dizzy - and that’s before getting inside the NATO summit.
"It’s been very busy," Hipkins told Newshub.
"Great to have you here," head of NATO Jens Stoltenberg told Hipkins as they shook hands.
Powerful people, doing diplomacy and smiling for the cameras before talks ramp up
"[There is] a lot of concern about Russia's aggression towards Ukraine and what that signals - not just for the conflict of those two countries, but actually for the rules-based system the rest of the world relies on," said Hipkins.
The focus of the military alliance summit was unmissable - Ukraine's future in NATO topped the agenda.
"What allies have agreed today is a strong united and positive message to Ukraine about enduring support," Stoltenberg told the summit.
But President Zelenskyy isn’t buying it
While Ukraine accepts membership while the conflict rages would draw the world into the war, Zelenskyy wants a firm timeframe for when it can happen
He slammed the uncertainty as weakness, and accused the alliance of providing Russia with "motivation to continue its terror.”
US President Joe Biden is leading NATO's concerns - namely agreeing to Ukraine's membership at the point of ceasefire - which could prompt Putin to prolong the bloodshed.
The best the alliance could agree on was to cut back the membership paperwork for when the time comes.
Meanwhile in Lithuania, fewer than 400 kilometres from Russia, the gravity of the decision couldn’t be clearer.
Security efforts are in overdrive in Vilnius, and with war overshadowing the summit, Lithuania is being guarded by German missile systems, and 17 nations' forces.
Over in Ukraine, Kyiv has been hammered by Moscow missiles in recent days.
President Zelenskyy got plenty of support in Lithuania, where he carried the battle flag from Bakhmut.
"Ukraine will make NATO stronger
He still gets to have his say at the summit, and he's no stranger to a fight.
