Bristling under economic sanctions imposed by the West, Russia fires back

Bristling¹ under economic sanctions imposed by the West, Russia fires back

Transcript²

Russia is cutting off natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, and has demanded countries pay for energy in rubles. The move is seen as a warning by Russia to bigger European energy consumers.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Russian President Vladimir Putin is threatening the West with lightning-fast retaliatory³ strikes. He wants the U.S. to stop sending military support to Ukraine, and he's telling lawmakers in Moscow that actions like that pose a strategic threat to Russia. European leaders say Russia is already trying to blackmail⁴ them by cutting off natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria. While the move affects two relatively⁵ small countries, it comes with a warning for the wider European Union. But could it backfire? Let's start our coverage⁶ this hour with NPR's Jackie Northam.

JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE⁷: Like many European nations, Poland and Bulgaria rely on Russian natural gas to heat their homes and run their businesses. But they were not willing to bend to Moscow's demand by paying for the gas in rubles instead of the usual dollars and euros. They're not Russia's biggest customers, so it was an easier move for Moscow to make.

JAMES WADDELL: These are the low-hanging fruit because these contracts are due to expire anyway.

NORTHAM: Even so, Moscow is sending a clear signal to bigger European nations, says James Waddell, the head of European gas at the London-based analysis group Energy Aspects.

WADDELL: It does show that Russia is willing to halt supplies if people don't subscribe⁸ to the new payment system. It is a warning shot for other, bigger buyers in Western Europe that, you know, they are willing to carry out their threat.

NORTHAM: But it's more than paying for gas with rubles, which would undermine sanctions the West has put on Russia's banks. Moscow is also retaliating⁹ against European nations for those sanctions and for supporting Ukraine. Jason Bordoff, director of Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy, says Russia is taking a risk.

JASON BORDOFF: I think using gas as a weapon, using energy as a weapon is shortsighted, self-defeating and shooting yourself in the foot from Russia's standpoint. It's why Russia, for the most part, has not used energy that way before, even at the height of the Cold War or the height of conflict between Europe and Russia.

NORTHAM: Poland had already started to wean itself off Russian gas. It and Germany have enough stored up to last a few months. But Bordoff says Moscow knows how powerful the eventual¹⁰ impact in Europe will be if natural gas supplies from Russia are shut off.

BORDOFF: If Russia were to really cut gas supplies to much of Europe, particularly Germany, it would cause severe economic pain. You're talking about potential recession. It's simply too difficult in the near term to find enough alternative gas supplies to fill that gap. So I think you'd be talking about potentially rationing¹¹ of energy and sky-high natural gas and energy prices way beyond anything we've seen to date.

NORTHAM: But this could backfire for Russia in the long run. Its energy companies have built a reputation over the years for delivering oil and gas despite political tensions, says William Courtney, a former U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan and Georgia, currently with the nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

WILLIAM COURTNEY: Cutting off gas increases perceptions in Europe that Russia is an unreliable supplier. Gazprom and Rosneft, Lukoil, Novatek - they must all be fit to be tied by what's happening.

NORTHAM: Waddell with Energy Aspects says if Russia cuts off Europe, its most lucrative¹² customers, it will need to go looking for other buyers, most likely in Asia. But he says Russia won't have much leverage¹³ after it's weaponized its energy.

WADDELL: If they're trying to sell most of that gas into China, I would expect the Chinese to want to have control over some of the gas fields in Russia and the export infrastructure¹⁴ to ensure that they are never cut off from Russian supply.

NORTHAM: In the meantime, it's a question of whether Moscow is willing to jeopardize¹⁵ its energy business and whether Europe will backtrack on sanctions and start paying in rubles.

Jackie Northam, NPR News.

1 bristling   

a.竖立的

参考例句：

• "Don't you question Miz Wilkes' word,'said Archie, his beard bristling. "威尔克斯太太的话，你就不必怀疑了。 "阿尔奇说。他的胡子也翘了起来。
• You were bristling just now. 你刚才在发毛。

2 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。

3 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

4 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

7 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。

8 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

9 retaliating   

v.报复，反击( retaliate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The administration will begin retaliating in six weeks if EC policies remain unchanged. 凯特先生说，如果欧共体一意孤行，美国政府将于六周后开始报复。 来自互联网

10 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

11 rationing   

n.定量供应

参考例句：

• Wartime austerities included food rationing and shortage of fuel. 战时的艰苦包括食物配给和燃料短缺。
• Food rationing was abolished in that country long ago. 那个国家早就取消了粮食配给制。

12 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

13 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

14 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

15 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。