VOA标准英语2014--Putin's Energy Threats Come with Cost to Russia

 

Putin's Energy Threats Come with Cost to Russia 

LONDON — Russia is again using its role as Europe’s dominant¹ natural gas supplier to pressure Ukraine and the West. Europe gets about 30 percent of its gas from Russia, and half of that passes through Ukraine.  But how much leverage² does Russia really have in using energy exports to achieve diplomatic or geopolitical objectives in Europe?

When former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych met with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in December 2013 he was expected to sign key trade and political agreements with the European Union.

But to the dismay of many Ukrainians, Yanukovych turned down the deals on the advice of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who tempted³ the former president with the promise of cheap gas.

Considering the large amounts of Russian gas Ukraine burns through every year, the deal seemed like a good one for Yanukovych.

But since Yanukovych's ouster amid massive protests in February, Russian gas has become more of a punishment than an enticement⁴.

Price hike

Last month, Alexei Miller⁵, the chief executive of Russia’s gas giant, Gazprom, agreed with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to impose a 44 percent increase in the price of gas sold to Ukraine.

With the price boost, Ukraine now owes Gazprom $2.2 billion. If Ukraine continues not to pay its bills - and without outside help, it cannot- Gazprom can cut it off.

This is potentially bad news for Europe, says Antony Froggatt, a senior research fellow with Chatham House. He says Russia will likely continue to use gas as a political tool.

“The Russian economy is heavily dependent on energy,"  he explained. "And, so if it no longer sees potential and economic benefit from supplying Ukraine at lower prices, then it will increase it [the price]. And, it’s always that … changes we’ve seen in Europe over the last couple of months.”

But this time, the threat is not as ominous⁶ as it was during price disputes in the winters of 2006 and 2009. European countries have since found other options for meeting their energy needs, and, in any case, will not rely on Russian gas in the summer months. And though most European countries refill their storage facilities at this time, those facilities are likely well stocked after a mild winter.

“The previous sort of Ukraine gas prices in 2006 and 2009, there was a different situation because: A, it was winter; B, the EU as a whole was more dependent on Russian gas; and, C, more of that Russian gas came through the Ukraine and more of it is diversified⁷, so it goes around the Ukraine,” Froggatt said.

Russia must also consider the cost to its own economy of withholding⁸ gas exports, which provide its most important source of revenue. Whatever Vladimir Putin's geo-political ambitions, most energy analysts⁹ seem to agree he will think twice about jeopardizing¹⁰ that revenue.

EU working on plan to help pay for gas

In Vienna Friday, European Energy Commissioner¹¹ Guenther Oettinger said he is working on a plan to help Ukraine pay some of its gas bills to Russia.  According to a Reuters report, he told Austria's ORF radio on Friday, there was "no reason to panic'' about Russian gas supplies to Europe.

"We are in close contact with Ukraine and its gas company to ensure that Ukraine remains¹² able to pay and the debts that the gas company has to Gazprom do not rise further,'' Oettinger said, adding he would meet Ukraine's energy and foreign ministers on Monday.

"I am preparing a solution that is part of the aid package that the IMF, the European Union and the World Bank is giving to Ukraine and from which payment for open bills will be possible,'' he said.

Oettinger advised against taking Putin's threat at face value, saying Russia wanted to deliver gas and needed the revenue.

 

"Part of the bills is justified¹³. Another part is unjustified. We will put together a package in the weeks ahead so that paying the justified open bills will be possible, but not according to Mr. Putin's accounting¹⁴ but rather by what is contractually correct,'' he said.  

1 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

2 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。

3 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

4 enticement   

n.诱骗，诱人

参考例句：

• He fell victim to her enticement. 他被她的魅力征服了。
• He ought to curb his excessive internal desires and resist unreasonable enticement. 控制过度内欲、抵制不当外惑。

5 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

6 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

7 diversified   

adj.多样化的，多种经营的v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的过去式和过去分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• The college biology department has diversified by adding new courses in biotechnology. 该学院生物系通过增加生物技术方面的新课程而变得多样化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Take grain as the key link, develop a diversified economy and ensure an all-round development. 以粮为纲，多种经营，全面发展。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 withholding   

扣缴税款

参考例句：

• She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
• The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。

9 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。

10 jeopardizing   

危及，损害( jeopardize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Plans may also become inefficient in the attainment of objectives by jeopardizing group satisfactions. 用危及群体利益方法去达到目标的计划，也是无效率的。
• That boosted government revenues in the short term, but is now jeopardizing them. Morales将天然气工业，电信业和部分采矿业收归国有的举措吓跑了投资者们。

11 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

12 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。

13 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

14 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。