After weeks of warnings from President Biden, Russia invades Ukraine

After weeks of warnings from President Biden, Russia invades Ukraine

Transcript¹

NPR's Rachel Martin speaks to retired² Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint³ Chiefs of Staff, about how the Russian invasion of Ukraine is unfolding.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

We are joined now by Admiral Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Admiral Mullen, thanks for being with us.

MIKE MULLEN: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: The White House has been warning of a Russian invasion into Ukraine for weeks. There were cyberattacks last night on Ukrainian government agencies, then missile attacks on military targets today. Is all this happening as the U.S. expected it to?

MULLEN: I think it was, even up until the end, very difficult to predict exactly what Putin would do. But certainly, now that this has started, I think it's unfolding in a way that the White House had predicted all along just because of the scale of the force, the mix of the force, now the sequencing - missiles initially⁴, then aircraft. And undoubtedly⁵, what will follow will be large troop movements.

MARTIN: Are the Ukrainians equipped to fight back?

MULLEN: I think that's - certainly to some degree, Rachel. But they're not equipped to significantly oppose this force in a way that would stop them in their tracks. I think where Putin appears to be going now - and I would call this a - we're now in sort of an all-out invasion. And I think that the port area that you just described in Odessa, the land in the east and then Kyiv - my guess, it would be Kyiv is really the main target and looking to change out the regime.

MARTIN: Do you believe any more U.S. or European sanctions are going to compel Putin to retreat?

MULLEN: My expectation is that the sanctions will actually bite over a longer period than immediately. I think he's pretty well-prepared for immediate⁶ sanction. So I don't think that - obviously, the threat of sanctions hasn't deterred⁷ him. And I don't think the implementation⁸ of sanctions will stop him at this particular point. However, I do think he will pay a large price for that - for this in the long run with respect to sanctions. And it's underpinned⁹ by great unity¹⁰ in Europe and, actually, almost complete unity around the world that what Putin has done is illegal. It's - he started a war. And he is destabilizing one of the largest and most critical continents in the world.

MARTIN: But there's nothing in his past behavior to suggest that he is malleable¹¹ by economic sanctions, by the threat of them or the actual execution of them. The attack is now underway. So what happens? I mean, NATO has said it's not going to send in troops. The U.S. has said it's not going to send in troops. What happens to Ukraine?

MULLEN: Well, I think - I mean, it's hard to say. If Putin wants to go in and take it, I think that he will. I think there is a strong possibility there will be an insurgency¹². And I believe we should support that. And our allies should support that insurgency. This is a country of 41 million people, most of whom are not supportive of Putin in this regard. So it's hard to know how significant that would be. But that then gets into a much longer-term war, if you will, for Putin, which is dangerous for Putin, particularly when you start seeing Russian body bags sent back home to Russia. So it's hard to know. But given the level of force and seeming - his determination and lack of response, if you will, to the West, there's a good chance that he'll get what he wants, at least in the short term.

MARTIN: When Putin gave an address earlier this week - right before the attack, actually - people who've been watching him for a while said, this is a different Vladimir Putin. This is an angrier Russian leader. You have watched him for years. Is this a different man, a leader - a different leader in this moment?

MULLEN: No. I don't think he's a different guy at all. I think what you see is the same guy now executing what he has felt for decades. You know, I've believed forever that when he said this is the - that the fall of the wall was the worst thing that ever happened to Russia, he believes that - that losing the faith that he did and that his desire and his hatred¹³ of NATO and what it stands for, those are now all, you know, out in the open in terms of his execution. And I don't think he's changed at all. He's just decided¹⁴ to act on what he believes in.

MARTIN: Should Europeans be concerned in this moment that this could expand, that this could end up escalating¹⁵ into a broader ground war?

MULLEN: Yeah. I would expect, and it's been very clear, that we're not going to - the U.S. is not going to invade Ukraine. But I would expect us to move forces pretty rapidly to the East to reassure¹⁶ our NATO allies there - particularly Poland, the Baltics, Romania, Bulgaria - that we will be there for them and that that is a line across which if Putin moves, there would be a significant military response.

MARTIN: This morning, Russia has invaded an ally of the U.S., of NATO. In your view, has the world order shifted?

MULLEN: Yeah. I think it has. Certainly, the security architecture in Europe has shifted dramatically. And there will be a lot of work to lay out what the details of that would be. But I think it has globally with this actor. And the world needs to respond that we cannot tolerate that a democratically elected government in a country and an ally could be taken over by Putin or anybody else anywhere else in the world. And we need to work together to make sure that does not hold and that, certainly - that he doesn't extend himself beyond what he's doing right now.

(SOUNDBITE OF VOISART'S "LIKE GLASS")

MARTIN: Retired Admiral Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Thank you.

MULLEN: Thanks, Rachel.

(SOUNDBITE OF VOISART'S "LIKE GLASS")

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 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

5 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 deterred   

v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。
• Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句

8 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

9 underpinned   

v.用砖石结构等从下面支撑（墙等）( underpin的过去式和过去分词 )；加固（墙等）的基础；为（论据、主张等）打下基础；加强

参考例句：

• The report is underpinned by extensive research. 这份报告以广泛的研究为基础。
• The statue of Diana was underpinned with charred piles. Diana雕像是建造在炭化了的木桩上的。 来自辞典例句

10 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

11 malleable   

adj.(金属)可锻的;有延展性的；(性格)可训练的

参考例句：

• Silver is the most malleable of all metals.银是延展性最好的金属。
• Scientists are finding that the adult human brain is far more malleable than they once thought.科学家发现成人大脑的可塑性远超过他们之前认识到的。

12 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

13 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

14 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

15 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

16 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。