US officials say Southeast Asian defense leaders are pointing to Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula as one example of why the Pacific nations must be more unified in the face of territorial disputes. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the defense ministers in private meetings Thursday talked about the effects that such disputes and sovereignty violations can have and noted that there is strength in unity. The Ukraine issue was one of many at the three-day gathering hosted by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. The defense leaders also discussed increasing cooperation in disasters and humanitarian crises.—AP
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