VOA新闻杂志2022--乌克兰暂时关闭俄罗斯输欧天然气关键过境站

Ukrainian Gas Center Supplying Europe Is Shut Down

Ukraine has stopped the flow of Russian natural gas through an entry point that feeds gas to Western Europe.

Ukraine's natural gas pipeline¹ operator said it would stop accepting Russian shipments through a hub in a part of eastern Ukraine starting early Wednesday. The operator said Russian forces were interfering² with gas processes and "the stability and safety of the entire Ukrainian gas transportation system."

The hub is in an area controlled by separatist forces supported by Russia.

The hub handles about one-third of Russian gas passing to Western Europe through Ukraine. The immediate³ effect of the cutoff is likely to be limited, said gas expert Zongqiang Luo at business researcher Rystad Energy. Much of the gas can be directed through another pipeline, he said.

However, Russia's state-owned oil company Gazprom suggested the amount of gas flowing to Europe through Ukraine was down 25 percent from the day before.

The cutoff shows how the war is putting gas supplies at risk.

Luo said the cutoff would make it harder for European countries to save gas for next winter. He also said it would quicken "Europe's plans to move away from imports of Russian gas."

The European Union has attempted to reduce its use of Russian energy. The EU is slowly ending its use of coal and considering doing the same for oil. But gas is a more complex problem. Europe uses a lot of gas and it is difficult to find other suppliers.

A pro-Russian official in a southern territory seized by Russian troops said the area will ask Moscow to annex⁴ it.

The talk of annexation⁵ in Kherson could be another sign of Russia's larger plan for Ukraine. Its invasion has so far not gone to plan.

Kirill Stremousov is a top official with the Kherson regional administration put in place by Russia. He said regional officials want Russian President Vladimir Putin to make Kherson a "proper region" of Russia.

Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it would be "up to the residents of the Kherson region" to make such a request.

Through annexation, Russia has been able to gain pieces of former Soviet⁶ republics Ukraine and Georgia in recent years. The Soviet Union broke apart in 1991. Russia annexed⁷ Crimea in 2014 after holding a vote on the peninsula asking whether it wanted to become part of Russia.

Kherson borders Crimea. It was captured early in the war.

The gas cutoff came as Western powers have been looking to increase economic pressure on Russia and support Ukraine.

Still, there is growing fear that the fighting in Ukraine will be a major problem in Europe and around the world for months or even years.

U.S. and NATO officials have expressed concern that Russia may be preparing for a long conflict. The war is now in its third month with little sign of victory for either side and no likely resolution soon.

Words in This Story

hub — n. a central and most active part of a place

stability — n. a state of in which things are not likely to change a lot

annex — v. to add an area to a country or state

proper –adj. exactly correct, true

region — n. a part of a country or the world that is different or separate from other parts

resident — n. a person who lives in a particular place

1 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

2 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 annex   

vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物

参考例句：

• It plans to annex an England company in order to enlarge the market.它计划兼并一家英国公司以扩大市场。
• The annex has been built on to the main building.主楼配建有附属的建筑物。

5 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

6 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

7 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。