New Zealand is facing the most unstable global environment in decades, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Friday, as he pledged to boost ties with the United States amid conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. "We cannot afford to sit back in splendid isolation in the South Pacific, pontificate smugly, and talk exclusively to those countries we agree with," Peters said in a statement issued after his trip to the United States, Egypt and Europe. "It is critical that we show up, listen to all perspectives, and enhance partnerships with our traditional friends, so that we can adapt to the complex global environment."