* The U.N. General Assembly voted to demand that Russia halt its Ukraine invasion and withdraw all troops. The vote was 141-5, with 35 abstentions. The four countries siding with Russia: Belarus, Eritrea, North Korea and Syria. Among those that abstained: Cuba.
* Crimea perspective. Virtually no blood shed in 2014. Many Russians nationalistically cheering. Not now.
* NATO’s Article 5: An attack on one NATO member is deemed an attack on all. Ukraine, of course, is not a NATO ally, but neighboring, Russia-vulnerable countries–such as the Baltics–are.
* China’s military budget will grow by 7.1 percent this year to approximately $230 billion. Back in December, the U.S. Congress approved a budget of $768 billion for the American military.
* According to the World Economic Forum’s list of countries closest to achieving gender equality, the No. 1 spot—for the last dozen years—goes again to Iceland.