Russia will recognize outcome of Ukraine Poll, says Vladimir Putin
Shaun Walker / The Guardian
Putin says Russia will ‘respect the choice of the Ukrainian people’, but separatist authorities vow to disrupt weekend’s presidential election

Is This Putin’s Next Target?
Josh Rogin / The Daily Beast
Moldova, a small country bordering Ukraine, already houses thousands of Russian troops against its will. Now Russia is pouring in spies, according to its former prime minister.

China proposes security alliance to counter U.S. influence
Associated Press / The Japan Times
China’s president called Tuesday for the creation of a new Asian structure for security cooperation based on a regional group that includes Russia and Iran and excludes the U.S.

France’s Total in shale deal with Russia’s Lukoil
Associated Press
French energy company Total SA is hooking up with Russia’s largest private oil company to explore and develop a huge Siberian shale oil field, despite Western sanctions and anger over the Kremlin’s role in Ukraine’s crisis.

Okinawa Mayor Takes Fight Against U.S Base to Washington
Andrew Siddons / the New York Times
To some, the long-stalled agreement to relocate a United States Marine base from a heavily populated area of Okinawa, Japan, to a smaller city might finally be seeing the light of day.

Gazprom CEO says China gas deal will affect European market
Lidia Kelly / Reuters
Russia’s landmark deal to supply natural gas to China will affect prices in Europe and have an impact on international liquified natural gas projects, the chief executive of state-run Gazprom said Friday.

China warns Japan, Philippines accuses China in maritime spat
Sui-Lee Wee and Manuel Mogato / Reuters
China warned Japan on Friday to stay out of a growing dispute with its neighbors over the South China Sea, as the Philippines implicitly accused Beijing of delaying talks aimed at a solution.

On Our Flashpoint Blog

Egypt’s Upcoming Presidential Election
Jeffrey Lloyd
On May 26 and 27 Egypt will be holding their presidential election close to one year after the Egyptian people removed the Muslim Brotherhood’s Muhammad Morsi from office.

Why You Shouldn’t Sleep on this Weekend’s EU Elections
Dan Day
Elections for the European Parliament kicked off Thursday in the Netherlands and the UK and will continue through Sunday as all 28 European Union member states give voters the chance to shape the only directly elected body within the EU.

ASP Reports

The 21st Century Nuclear Arsenal
Matthew Wallin
More than two decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, U.S. nuclear deterrence has not adapted to the changing nature of the threats faced. It is time for this to change.

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