亲俄分裂分子欲成立新国家取代乌克兰

Pro-Russia Separatists Proclaim New State to Replace Ukraine

Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have announced plans to replace Ukraine with a new state.

Yet Russian officials played down the announcement. They said the rebel proposal was simply a part of public discussion.

Alexander Zakharchenko, head of the self-described Donetsk People’s Republic, talked about the proposal in an appearance on Russian television. He said that rebel fighters in Donetsk, Luhansk and other areas would form a state called Malorossiya.

In the Russian language, Malorossiya means “Little Russia.” It was a term used to describe parts of modern-day Ukraine when they were part of the Russian Empire.

Zakharchenko said that the proposal is, in his words, “a peaceful way out of a difficult situation without war.

“It’s our last proposal,” he added.

More than 10,000 people have died in fighting since Russia-supported rebels took control of parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions in April 2014. The fighting started after Russia took control of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.

Surprise announcement

The Associated Press reports that Zakharchenko’s announcement was unexpected. It added to concerns about a 2015 ceasefire agreement that was meant to stop fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Leaders from France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia negotiated the agreement in Minsk, Belarus. Under the deal, the rebels would return control of the territories they had captured to Ukraine’s central government. In exchange, the government would permit local elections and give the area the power to self-govern.

While the deal helped reduce fighting, none of the political parts of the agreement have been put in place.

On Tuesday, the Russian representative at the peace talks in Minsk dismissed the separatists’ announcement. The envoy¹, Boris Gryzlov, said the proposal does not “fit with the Minsk process.” He also said the announcement does not have “any legal consequences.”

While the separatists are believed to be guided by the Russian government, they have made statements in the past that have clearly surprised Russian officials.

Zakharchenko made the announcement one day before the peace talks were to re-start in Minsk.

Ukraine’s envoy at the talks, Yevhen Marchuk, said the announcement “could block the negotiations² entirely³.”

France and Germany also condemned⁴ the proposal.

Rebel leaders in Luhansk denied that they were part of the proposal to create a new state. The Luhansk Information Center website reported that a rebel representative said they had not been informed of the plans and have “great doubts about the expediency⁵ of such a step.”

Throughout the conflict, the rebel-controlled areas have been ruled by self-declared leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Separatist leaders in Luhansk, unlike those in Donetsk, have generally not directly expressed plans to join Russia.

‘Puppets’

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia of forcing the rebels to make the announcement. He described Zakharchenko and other rebel leaders as “puppets,” whose only job is to voice “the messages they receive from Russia.”

Poroshenko said Ukraine still supports the peace talks.

Volodymyr Fesenko is a political observer in Kyiv. He said that the Russian government may have influenced Tuesday’s announcement. He said the government may be trying frighten the West with a possibility of Ukraine’s breakup.

The Associated Press has reported on Russia’s efforts to support the separatists in Ukraine with money, weapons and new fighters.

Russia, however, denies sending Russian troops to fight with the separatists.

I’m Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

play down - phrasal verb. to make (something) seem smaller or less important

empire - n. a group of countries or regions that are controlled by one ruler or one government

envoy ?- n.? a person who is sent by one government to represent it in dealing⁶ with another government?

consequence ?- n.? something that happens as a result of a particular action or set of conditions?

doubt ?- n.? a feeling of being uncertain or unsure about something?

expediency ?- n.? the quality of being an easy and quick way to solve a problem or do something

puppet ?- n.? a person or an organization that is controlled by another person or organization ; a doll that is moved by putting your hand inside it or by pulling strings or wires that are attached to it

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 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。

3 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

4 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

5 expediency   

n.适宜；方便；合算；利己

参考例句：

• The government is torn between principle and expediency. 政府在原则与权宜之间难于抉择。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was difficult to strike the right balance between justice and expediency. 在公正与私利之间很难两全。 来自辞典例句

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。