Putin's decision to recognize 2 breakaway regions in Ukraine triggers sanctions

Putin's decision to recognize 2 breakaway regions in Ukraine triggers sanctions

Transcript¹

The United States, United Kingdom and the European Union are promising² sanctions for Russia's decision to recognize the independence of two separatist areas in Ukraine.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

The United Kingdom is set to announce new sanctions against Russia today. The U.S. has already announced a narrow set of sanctions against the two breakaway provinces in Ukraine backed by Russia. Vladimir Putin has sent Russian forces into those regions not to start a war, he says, but to keep the peace. That move also prompted an emergency late-night meeting of the United Nations Security Council. American Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield addressed members.

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LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: President Putin is testing our international system. He is testing our resolve and seeing just how far he can push us all. He wants to demonstrate that through force, he can make a farce³ of the U.N. We must act together in response to this crisis.

MARTIN: So let's talk about what that response looks like. NPR's Jackie Northam has been following all the developments and joins us now. Hi, Jackie.

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE⁴: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: Let's start off with some news this morning. Germany's chancellor⁵, Olaf Scholz, is reportedly putting the brakes on the Nord Stream 2. This is this very key pipeline⁶ deal with Russia. What can you tell us?

NORTHAM: Right. Well, this is a pipeline. It's - you know, it's $11 billion multiyear project in that - and it was finished, but it was just waiting to be certified⁷. And Scholz, Chancellor Scholz, said today that it cannot go online under the current circumstances. And this is a big deal, Rachel, because natural gas helps prop⁸ up Russia's economy. And this was a direct pipeline from Russia to Germany, so it's going to be a huge loss of money for Russia.

MARTIN: Meanwhile, the U.K. and the U.S. have imposed sanctions in response to Russia's actions. How broad are these?

NORTHAM: Well, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the U.K. would unveil a barrage⁹ of sanctions. He didn't say what they were but that they would target Russian economic interests. And he said that there would be no place for Russian oligarchs to hide. The European Union is also preparing sanctions. So far, the U.S. is taking this limited approach, just sanctioning the two breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. And so that'll ban any Americans from doing business there or any trade. To be clear, though, again, these are really narrow sanctions and much different from the swift and severe ones that the U.S. and allies have been promising to impose on Russia for the past few weeks should it invade Ukraine and not just these breakaway regions. And they're holding off on those for now.

MARTIN: All right. OK, so what would those be, those broader sanctions?

NORTHAM: Right. They'd try and cripple Russia's economy - so going after Russia's biggest banks, preventing them from getting - being part of the global financial system, keeping any man-made - U.S.-made technology out of Russia's hands, things like that. Again, they're meant to hurt Russia's economy.

MARTIN: So what kind of line does Russia need to cross in order for the U.S. to justify¹⁰ those broader sanctions?

NORTHAM: You know, that's really unclear. A senior administration official said yesterday, you know, the next move by the U.S. and its allies all depends on what Russia does. So perhaps if Russia moves further into the Ukraine, this could spark more serious sanctions than the ones that we're just talking about this morning that they've carried out. And the U.S. is expected to announce another round of sanctions later today against Russia.

MARTIN: So now we've got Vladimir Putin and Russia acknowledging or declaring the independence of these two breakaway, separatist parts of Ukraine. And we've got all these sanctions in response to that. Russia has sent troops into the eastern part of Ukraine. Where is diplomacy¹¹ in all this?

NORTHAM: You know, it's closing very quickly, the window on diplomacy to do that. Blinken, Secretary of State Blinken, was supposed to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday. No word if that'll happen.

MARTIN: NPR's Jackie Northam, thank you.

NORTHAM: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 farce   

n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹

参考例句：

• They played a shameful role in this farce.他们在这场闹剧中扮演了可耻的角色。
• The audience roared at the farce.闹剧使观众哄堂大笑。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

6 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

7 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

8 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

9 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

10 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

11 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。