美国国家公共电台 NPR--Finland monitors Russia's movements as it waits for acceptance into NATO

Finland monitors Russia's movements as it waits for acceptance into NATO

Transcript¹

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Mikko Hautala, Finnish ambassador to the United States, about his country's bid to join NATO after decades of remaining neutral.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Sweden and Finland will officially seek NATO membership. This move, which was brought on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, reverses a decades-old policy of neutrality by the two Nordic countries. It has also raised questions about whether expanded NATO membership will help contain Russia or provoke it even further. Our colleague Steve Inskeep spoke² with Finnish ambassador to the U.S. Mikko Hautala last night.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Ambassador, we had an analyst³ on the program last week who said the most vulnerable time for Finland is, essentially⁴, now, between when you asked for NATO membership and when you get it and are protected by NATO. How dangerous is this moment?

MIKKO HAUTALA: Well, I think it's something that we have to be mindful of. Currently, the situation is really calm. We don't see any military threats directed against us. Our president had a phone call with President Putin. And it seems to be the case that Russia understands the way things are, how things are moving. That doesn't mean that we could sort of take it easy. We have been planning for this, preparing for this. But for the moment, it looks like things are going to be OK.

INSKEEP: Ambassador, I'm interested that your president spoke with President Putin over the weekend. I know they've had a very long-standing relationship. They've known each other a long time.

HAUTALA: Yeah.

INSKEEP: Can you characterize how that call went?

HAUTALA: The call was long. It was substantial. It was done in a constructive⁵ mode. They've known each other for, now, 10 years, so they know how the other side thinks. But we informed Russia how we are going to move. And of course, now it's up to Russians to decide how they will define their policies.

INSKEEP: If people don't know, I'd like them to know that you have been Finland's ambassador to Moscow in the past, which means you've had your own opportunity to study Vladimir Putin. Do you feel you understand how he's going to respond?

HAUTALA: My own conclusion also is that Russia, first of all, they do realize that Finland has been integrating with NATO for almost 30 years. We have had really good bilateral⁶ cooperation also with the U.S. So for the Russians, this is not such a radical⁷ move. It's a rather small step at the end of the long road. I don't believe that they have too much interest there to somehow bring this story to their own audience because I think, rather, they have an interest there to keep the tone relatively⁸ low.

INSKEEP: Wait. When you say bring this story to their own audience, you're saying that they would rather not make a large controversy⁹ that would be noticed by the Russian people?

HAUTALA: Yeah. I don't think they have an interest to do that for a simple reason that this is not something that they had in mind or had hoped for.

INSKEEP: Let's talk about a complexity¹⁰ that may happen after you submit your formal application to NATO.

HAUTALA: Yeah.

INSKEEP: All existing members of NATO have to ratify¹¹ membership. Turkey's president and foreign minister have raised concerns in recent days. The foreign minister claims that Finland, quote, must stop supporting terror groups, which is how Turkey refers to the Kurdistan Workers' Party - or PKK. They've made some other demands as well. Do you accept that you're doing anything wrong that must be corrected?

HAUTALA: Well, PKK is considered a terrorist group by the EU and by Finland. So obviously, we do not have any sort of relationship to those kind of claims. Also, in the past, sometimes it happens that some member states raise some unrelated issues as a part of the discussion process. And of course, we will continue our negotiations¹² and discussions with the Turks. We have also heard from the Turkish president a very positive message towards our membership. So I really can't say that we have any specific demands or arguments from them.

INSKEEP: Do you see any risk that you formally ask for NATO membership, thus displeasing¹³ Russia, and then don't get NATO membership, any risk of that at all?

HAUTALA: We have done a lot of pre-screening of the of the process. And so far, our assessment¹⁴, on the basis of the contacts that we've had with the member states, is positive. But obviously, we haven't done the whole thing until everybody has agreed. So it's an open issue still.

INSKEEP: Do you see a possibility that Finland's border with Russia becomes a kind of cold war border, as it somewhat was during the actual Cold War?

HAUTALA: Well, I think it now depends, of course - obviously, we have an interest in maintaining a functioning border in which there is no much tension. But NATO already has five member states with direct border with Russia. All of them have border cooperation. So I don't think our case would be any different from these other five member states which have border with the Russians.

INSKEEP: Mikko Hautala is Finland's ambassador to the United States. Ambassador, thank you so much.

HAUTALA: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

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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 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

5 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

6 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

7 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

8 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。

9 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

10 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

11 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 displeasing   

不愉快的，令人发火的

参考例句：

• Such conduct is displeasing to your parents. 这种行为会使你的父母生气的。
• Omit no harsh line, smooth away no displeasing irregularity. 不能省略任何刺眼的纹路，不能掩饰任何讨厌的丑处。

14 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？