美国国家公共电台 NPR--NATO summit opens with some of the biggest questions the alliance has faced in years

NATO summit opens with some of the biggest questions the alliance has faced in years

Transcript¹

NATO grapples with divisions over continuing to arm the Ukrainians while also seeking a negotiated settlement to end a war that is damaging European economies.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Leaders of the G-7 say they will spend another $4.5 billion to fight the risk of famine. The war in Ukraine and climate crises have threatened food supplies around the world. As the summit wraps up in Germany, another begins today in Madrid. NPR's Frank Langfitt reports the agenda for NATO members' meeting this week is packed with some of the biggest questions the alliance has faced in years.

FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE²: In the early days of Russia's invasion, NATO allies got together and they poured weapons into Ukraine. And Ukraine held off Russian troops from taking Kyiv. Now, more than four months in, it's a war of attrition. Ukraine remains³ outgunned. And Russia is making grinding progress. Olga Oliker works as an analyst⁴ with the International Crisis Group in Brussels.

OLGA OLIKER: We've gone away from kind of that initial giddiness of, hey, we managed to impose the sanctions all together and, look; the Ukrainians are doing so well on the battlefield. This is great. To, OK, this is more difficult than we thought, but we're doing the right thing.

LANGFITT: Doing the right thing. But NATO allies don't seem quite as united as they were at the beginning. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron infuriated some allies when he said NATO should not humiliate⁵ Russia. Meanwhile, allies on NATO's eastern flank want to see heavier weapons going into Ukraine and more troops on their own soil to deter⁶ a potential Russian attack. Roland Freudenstein runs the Brussels Office of GLOBSEC, a think tank.

ROLAND FREUDENSTEIN: There are major cleavages opening. The biggest controversy⁷ among both EU and NATO member states at the moment is how to properly confront Russia. And there is an enormous fear of escalation⁸ on the side of some member states. And on the other hand, there is an enormous dissatisfaction with our support for Ukraine among other member states.

LANGFITT: That includes many on NATO's eastern flank, some of which border Russia. Freudenstein says, as a result, NATO hasn't kept up with Ukraine's needs on the battlefield.

FREUDENSTEIN: I think we have made so many mistakes, all of Western countries, by not accelerating arms production enough in our own countries, by not delivering heavy artillery⁹ systems. I think it is still not too late. I think we can still see major Ukrainian military successes in the second half of 2022 if those exports happen now.

LANGFITT: There's also a dispute at this summit over NATO enlargement. After Russia's invasion, Finland and Sweden applied¹⁰ to join the alliance. But in a surprise move, fellow member Turkey objected. It claims the two countries have refused to turn over 30 people Turkey accuses of terrorism. But analysts¹¹ say the Turks are also holding up the process to get the U.S. to sell them fighter jets. Again, Roland Freudenstein.

FREUDENSTEIN: If the summit could at least signal a more constructive¹² Turkish attitude where they would kind of name the price tag, for example, in more precise terms, that would be progress.

LANGFITT: Since the war began, NATO allies have added troops to the alliance's eastern flank. And at this week's meeting, they're expected to announce even more deployments. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg calls this part of the biggest overhaul¹³ of collective defense¹⁴ and deterrence¹⁵ since the Cold War.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JENS STOLTENBERG: We will transform the NATO response force and increase the number of our high-readiness forces to well over 300,000.

LANGFITT: That's compared to about 40,000 now. Ukraine and Russia will dominate this summit. But Stoltenberg, here speaking at a POLITICO forum¹⁶, said NATO will also focus on another country.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

STOLTENBERG: For the first time, we will address China and the challenges it poses to our interests, security and values.

LANGFITT: To this end and in another first, NATO has invited the leaders of four Asian Pacific nations - Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United States still sees China as its biggest challenge. Stoltenberg says China is not an adversary¹⁷, but he adds this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

STOLTENBERG: Competition is rising between democracy and authoritarianism¹⁸. Moscow and Beijing are openly contesting the rules-based international order.

LANGFITT: Given the vast distance between Europe and East Asia, there are limits to what NATO can do regarding China. But Theresa Fallon, who runs the Center for Russia Europe Asia Studies, says NATO allies can take more responsibility at home to free up the U.S.

THERESA FALLON: I think the whole narrative¹⁹ now may be more about burden-shifting, that the Europeans need to spend more because the U.S. will have more challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

LANGFITT: In a briefing last week, senior U.S. administration official said the war in Ukraine is bringing allies together from around the globe, as President Biden tries to link America's efforts in Europe and Asia.

Frank Langfitt, NPR News, London.

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 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。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 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。

5 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

6 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

7 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。

8 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

9 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

10 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 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。

13 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

14 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

15 deterrence   

威慑，制止； 制止物，制止因素； 挽留的事物； 核威慑

参考例句：

• An extreme school of "disarmers" pronounced stable deterrence was a dangerous deception. “裁军论者”中的极端派声称，稳定的威摄是一种危险的骗局。
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。

16 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

17 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

18 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

19 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。